My Life on Four Wheels

Hiatus Again

2011-05-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

I completely forgot about this blog. I want to sincerely apologize to my reader. I actually forgot about this blog until I saw that my article is about to be published in the Brickline - I forgot I plugged this very site!

Just want to let anyone know I'm still alive. I've just received a promotion and real life is more important than car life, sadly.

The body panels for the Bricklin have been ordered. Terry Tanner at Bricklin Parts and Services is working on them. A lot of work has been done but there's a lot more to go. It's amazing that it's been more than a year since I started the project.

The Allante is still running great, though I haven't had the chance to take it out lately. Seattle rains mixed with my new hectic schedule make it tough. I haven't even taken the hardtop off this year.

The Mazda3 and Deville are still (somewhat) reliable daily drivers. Haven't had much of an issue with either.

Sorry for the Lack of Updates.

2011-02-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

I've been real busy with real life which cuts into my time to get online and ramble about the Bricklin's progress. I apologize for that, but rest assured progress is being made (in fact, much more than this little snippet will attest to).

OK. A long day of work followed by a long day of working on the Bricklin.
1) Distributor cap and new spark plug wires done.

2) Installed new thermostat. The previous owner installed a 160 degree one (seriously?). Back up to 180.

3) Had to drill and tap some new paths for the radiator screws. The new ones are 5/16, except the bottom left (a fun surprise if the new owner has to change out the radiator, if I sell).

4) Plugged up the valves. Now, the air will only push the doors up; gravity will let them shut (I honestly don't know why the original plan was to have them pneumatically close...)

5) Went to NAPA to pick up belts. A warning to all - DON'T BLINDLY TRUST WHAT YOU REAL ON AN INTERNET FORUM. The belts I wrote down from the Bricklin Forum were completely wrong - I had to drive home to get the old ones to verify!

6) Ordered new radiator hoses while at NAPA. They'll be here Monday, hopefully with my new air compressor and Mazda Pulse Generator.

7) Installed new belts - Power Steering, A/C, and Alternator (Smog pump has been removed - no emissions for me). After that, it was time to call it a day.

Overall, the mechanicals are almost there. I just have to reinstall the radiator and fan, dial in the carb, and hunt down any vacuum leaks (which I'm sure will be plenty). Next week I'll finalize the pneumatic system and then it's back to the interior (and my Corbeau seats should ship "first thing next week" according to the seller)!

After that, we just wait for the body panels. Hopefully the entire thing will be done by the Summer.

New Tools and Some More Progress...

2010-11-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

As Black Friday is upon us, I headed to Lowe's to pick up some nuts and bolts. I have taken off the vacuum operated headlight mechanism - they are to be replaced with small air cylinders which do the same job. Might as well upgrade everything to air if I'm going this route.

After picking up some bolts, I eyed a 170+ Kohler tool kit for $100. However, I decided to hop by the Home Depot to see if they had anything better, figuring I could just hop by again and pick up this unit if necessary. Home Depot had a Husky brand 252-piece socket and wrench set on sale for only $70. Sold!

I really only need the sockets - I have a very bad habit of not putting everything back where it belongs at the end of the night. I'll be sure to be extra diligent with this one, so I won't be in a pinch when I need a certain socket.

The kit also comes with a ridiculous amount of Alan wrenches and a few regular wrenches. Not as necessary, but still nice to have. A little bit in the future I'd like to pick up some ratcheting wrenches, but for now this is more than enough tools to (hopefully) get me through the project.

On another note, the Bricklin is coming along nicely. I coated the birdcage with some POR-15 and wired up just about all of the pneumatic stuff (compressor, air lines, valves, and mose of the cylinders) and it's just about ready to plug and play. I've been holding off on buying the replacement body panels because of a possible money issue, but it looks like it's been resolved so I'll hopefully be purchasing those this week.

On another note, Terry Tanner's air headlight system features single-acting air cylinders which spring-retract. Though I have some three-way valves which could handle the headlights, I'd really like to buy some double acting cylinders so that all the air parts could operate from the same valve block. Howvers, I'd have to modify the mounting brackets and purchase some new cylinders (probably not expensive, but time consuming!). What are your thoughts?

Progress.

2010-11-14T04:54:00.000-08:00

After a long absence, finally some progress has been made on the Bricklin project. Yesterday, we removed the rear bumper to take a look at the onboard air tank, which is holding air. Unfortunately, we didn't have all the connections to hook up the pneumatics. I'll have to go to Airtronics and pick up the rest on Monday.

Since we couldn't hook up the wiring and whatnot, instead we decided to crack open the POR-15 and paint the steel safety cage (which I've been putting off for literally weeks!). Though there's still a little more to paint, the top and A-pillars are completely painted, as well as the front area right underneath the windshield.

It looks more complete now, but there's still a lot more work to go...

My Sister's New Saab

2010-10-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

This blog entry won't cover any of my ongoing project, or even one of my own cars, for that matter. Just an update on my sister, who recently got in a car accident and had to get a new ride. Here's what she ended up with:

A 2001 Saab 9-5.

I don't know too much about Saabs, save for their "Born from Jets" tagline and that Jesda (on the CadillacForums) owns an older Saab. But she likes it, and that's all that really matters...

Hiatus?

2010-09-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

Holy crap, I haven't updated since the end of June!

I haven't been as gung-ho about the Bricklin project as I should be. I could lay down the reasons, some of which are my own and others are on my partner in this project. I'm not harboring resentment, but I don't feel his work ethic is quite up to snuff.

I had a talk about this the other day with a good friend of mine. Seems I'm angrier about this than I'm letting on. I was quite angry. Sean is good at what he does but is also ridiculously unreliable.

Besides the cool Nexus gauges and body panels, every big purchase has been made for the car. It's only a matter of getting off our butts and doing the work. The problem is, my helper has become a bit flakey of late, so I'm considering alternative methods of getting this project finished.

I'm having talks with a local interior shop about helping out with the process. It seems easier to pay a bit more money up front and actually get the ball rolling.

Other than my problems, the Bricklin is coming along nicely when it gets worked on. We have the back interior panel and rear side panels completed and they actually look good. All that's left for the hatch area is the rear center console, and then we can work our way to the front (thankfully, not much work is needed on the dash!). Nearly the entire air system is ready to go.

And to think, I originally wanted to be done in August...

Air Hatch.

2010-06-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

Reusing the old unit, I have successfully mounted the hatch on two air cylinders, that will convienently use the same system as the doors (and everything else involving pneumatics, for that matter). We've also found an excellent switch panel to hook up all the electronics. It's quite nice, and also features a separate unit that can be remotely mounted. It's really designed to be mounted in the engine bay to turn on such things as ground effects, but it will work perfectly for the Bricklin.

The idea is, with the press of a button the hatch will open. Press another (convienently mounted at the rear of the car) and the whole rear console will slide forward. Press one more and the storage compartments pop open. Yet another button will activate the ambient lighting. If I get in the driver's seat and realize everything isn't where it's supposed to be, I can just hit the switches from the driver's seat and set everything right again.

Speaking of the interior modifications, the newly mounted cylinders require a bit of reworking of the interior panels. Always nice to find that something doesn't quite fit as originally intended.

Other than that minor setback, everything's going well. Sorry for the lack of updates; I have another (non-automotive) project in the works that's been taking up my time when not working on the Bricklin. More on that if or when it pans out.

My Parts Arrived!!!

2010-06-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Just went to get the mail and there's a package by the door. Smaller than I was expected.

I opened it up like a child on Christmas!

Two new stainless steel cyliders
New weatherstripping for the doors and rear quarter windows
New air latch system for the doors
New air headlight system and adapter

And (hopefully) enough pneumatic wire to hook it all up.

In addition, the hatch is no reattached and we are playing with its fit, as well as hooking up some air cyliders to open and close it automatically. Again, I think I have to be the voice of reason; the current air cylinders aren't strong enough to lift the hatch if they are mounted near the rear. They will lift the hatch perfectly fine mounted perpendicular, though. I really don't want to shell out a few more hundred dollars for stronger air cyliders.

Sean is all for new cylinders. It must be easy working with other people's money.

Sick Again.

2010-06-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

The 'Off Topic' label should be self explainatory. This post will just have a few quick thoughts, and will be (mostly) non-car related.

I am sick again. It is amazing how much nasty stuff can be produced inside the human body; I think I've coughed up half my body weight in the last few days. Bear in mind I'm no anorexic.

This cold was particularly nasty. I was severely stuffed up and my back and head were aching the first few days. I'm now much better, though still blowing out some nasty stuff. But at least it can be blown out now. Even worse, I took a lot of medicine attempting to alleviate the symptoms, but none had any effect whatsoever! The only choice was to wait it out.

It's easy to tell when I'm sick. I'm less quick and witty, and my work ethics falls through the floor. I will not work on the Bricklin (or anything unnecessary) in this condition. If that delays the completion, so be it. I'm not stressing about it.

I'm mostly fixed up, and figured I'd fire off a blog post while I'm up. Still waiting on the parts from Terry Tanner as well as some stuff I ordered off Amazon. Oh, and Half Price Books had a 20% Off Sale so I picked up Cadillac: The American Standard. My first impression is that it has a lot of information, but it's a lot easier to read than Packard: A History of the Motor Car and Company due to not being packed with information from front to end and also a larger font.

All the best.

Small Stuff

2010-05-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Called up Bricklin Parts and Services today and ordered some of the smaller parts for the Bricklin, including new air cylinders, weatherstripping, and updated air headlight system.

It should be shipped either later today or tomorrow. We'll see when they show up.

The actual body panels are expensive to ship individually, and shipping on a pallet aparently isn't desireable. In addition, though there is a backstock available, ordering the panels requires additional stock to be produced. So, I held off ordering them for now. Basically, my options are as follows:

1) Have each panel shipped individually.
2) Fly to Virginia, rent a U-Haul truck, drive them back to Washington ourselves.

Both options are expensive; the latter will probably be just a bit less. What do you think?

Lack of Updates...

2010-05-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

...does not equal a lack of work or play on my part.

Work continues on the Bricklin. This week I will call Terry Tanner and order the parts; my list is as follows:

Body Panels
- Headlight covers
- Roof Panel
- Door Skins
- Hatch
- A Pillars
- Hood
- Front Fenders (still deciding on those)

Assorted Parts
- Outside Door Weatherstripping
- Inside Birdcage Weatherstripping
- New Pneumatic Cylinders
- Door (Boomerang) Braces
- Weatherstripping for the Rear Quarter Windows
- Air Headlight System

It's going to be a sizeable order, obviously, and will probably need to be shipped on a pallet. Hopefully it won't be too expensive.

I know I've said it before, but the desconstruction is nearly complete. The only body panel still attached up front is the bumper; the hood, hood extension, fenders, A-pillars, roof, hatch, and doors have all been removed. All but the hood extension (and possibly fenders, they're not too bad) will be replaced with fiberglass replacements.

We've discovered all sorts of hacked together crap going through this thing. Going through the engine bay, we found a little device with a vacuum line going to the carb and an air line headed to the compressor. With no idea what it was, we took it off for further examination. It was a non-operational vacuum operated air pump! The air doors must have been a very early conversion; they haven't used these things in years. They would serve as the main air pump and the electric compressor (that I used the entire trip home) is just there as a backup. Both will be replaced with a single heavy duty air compressor.

In other news, earlier today was the Spring Opener at XXX. I was working and didn't attend, but it is the unofficial start of the car show season (though I went to quite a few cruise nights in March and April).

Why Do They Do This To Me?

2010-05-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

This entry may be my most philosophical work to date. Cars are a lot like pets.

Not that I'm saying cars are ensouled. But neither animal nor automobile can tell you what is wrong themselves, even if you know something is wrong.

You can only hope, when you either take the animal to the vet or take the car to the shop (or perform the surgery yourself, in this case), the patient knows it is for the best.

Such is the case with the Bricklin. Though many body panels have been removed and the engine is inoperable, it will be for the best when the work is finished! Technically, we could just do a quick once over of the interior and be done with it, but there are so many underlying issues needing to be addressed.

I can either do it right or end up having to do it again.

So I'll take the extra steps to make it so. We'll strip all the body panels off and apply POR-15 to the safety cage and frame to prevent it from rusting again. We'll take the doors apart and weld reinforcement bars where recommended. We'll run through the entire pneumatic system, replacing the compressor, air lines, and even the cylinders which raise and lower the doors.

We can rebuilt it. We have the technology.

Bear in mind this photo was taken a few days ago (there is always some lag time between any photo op and my blogging). The roof has been sanded down to bare metal (mostly on the driver's side, however) and should be complete within the week.

We're still working on the custom interior. It's coming along, slowly but surely. The rear console now moves under its own power (with a little help from an air compressor). Interior fabric will be ordered shortly, along with more carpet, since we misjudged the amount needed. The carpet I have now is just enough to cover the floors in the foot wells.

With mistakes like those, you really have to hope the Bricklin has faith in my ability.

May the Fourth be With You...

2010-05-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah, lame pun of the day. You can thank "itschrome" at the Cadillac Forums for that one.

Because I need extra space in the garage to accomodate work area needed for the Bricklin, the Allante has unfortunately been sitting outside under a car cover. The car cover is a very nice waterproof yet breathable model, and fits the Allante nicely (if not perfectly). It fits so good I decided not to tie it down to the underside, letting it just sit atop the car.

You probably can see where this is going...

That move bit me in the ass. Yesterday, I left to find the cover had blown off my poor convertible in the pouring rain. Thankfully, the top was up (I actually flirted with the idea of leaving the top down, THAT would have been a catastrophe) but the very back wasn't latched. Plus, the top leaks in heavy rain, so I was very worried I would find a pool when I opened the door. Thankfully, other than the car being wet and a little rain that snuck through the unlatched top into the boot, all is OK. I've learned my lesson.

In another "Holy Hell" moment, I've been shopping around for the Nexus gauges I talked about last time. They are EXPENSIVE. And expensive for me, with my steady job and hefty paychecks, is more than your average Joe. They're going to be at least a grand.

Originally, I wanted to get in and done with this car for under $10,000. It's becoming more and more clear I will not hit this number. Replacement body panels alone will be pushing $2,500. So, in classic form, I'm just lowering my standards and raising my budget by a couple thousand dollars.

Actual Artistic Talent?

2010-04-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

NOT DONE BY ME. You can tell because it's actually a good sketch, unlike others posted a few days back.

Here's a nice, though not perfect, artistic rendering of what the rear console will look like. Note the unit will slide forward (towards the hatch) for easy access to the storage compartments to the left and right (shaded grey here).

This isn't just a pipe dream anymore. The base board was installed yesterday and it can actually slide, albiet it has to be pushed and pulled. Eventually, it will be attached to a pneumatic cylinder that will do the work for us (a pneumatic slide could also work, but would be signifigantly more expensive).

The storage compartments will house the amplifiers for the sound system, and those will be backlit by LED lighting. Also, the subwoofers in the back will have an LED light system as well. The LEDs will either be red or orange. I really want red as the accent color, but orange would save me some money as we already have access to orange lighting. What do you think?

Whether red or orange, I've decided on Nexus gauges. They really are awesome gauges, but are a bit small (speedometer and tach are 3 3/8" and other gauges are only 2 1/16"). But, they have seven color LED illumination, so they could work if I decided the accent color will be either red or orange. Check them out http://www.autometer.com/demos/nexus/!

2010 XXX All Italian Car Show

2010-04-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I went to the XXX All Italian Car Show. Since I attended last year, I knew what was in store for the day. Generally, people who take enough time to engage me in conversation about the Allante are either:

1) Genuinely interested in the car.
2) Wanting to know why the hell a Cadillac is at an Italian car show.

This year, however, I made sure to type out a few paragraphs and specifically include the fact that the body was assembled in Italy. Occassionally I would still overhear a remark regarding the car's eligibility. I guess you can't win everyone over.

The show was uneventful, but fun. There were plenty of Fiats, Alfa Romeos, and Ferraris in attendance, along with a handful of DeTomaso Panteras, Maseratis, and various Lamborghinis. Sir Mix-a-Lot (of 'Baby Got Back' fame) even made an appearance. Just like last year, the Allante was lumped into the "Other" category, along with two Bertone X1/9s, a 1985 Pininfarina Spyder (last year's class winner), a 1972 Citroen-Maserati SM, and a Seat 600D (which won the class and also was Best of Show).

Pictures:

Lamborghini Countach

Lamborghini Countach side view

Lamborghini Murcielago owned by Sir Mix-a-Lot

A few Alfa Romeos

Red Alfa Romeo Spyder

Alfa Romeo 8C (left) and a much older Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

Two red Fiat Spyders

Ferrari Testarossa

Just a shot to show the scope of the event.

I took 130 pictures at the show, these are just the best of the bunch. I'm now tired and sunburnt; enjoy the pictures!

With the teardown complete, the buildup BEGINS!

2010-04-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

With little exception, the Bricklin floor pan is now completely devoid of any last remnants of old carpet. My new carpet arrived a few days ago, it was picked up along with two big sheets of wood that will serve as the base and frame of the rear console.
I painstakingly removed the vinyl upholstery from the interior rear quarter panels and console. The left side turned out to be broken by the rear window, but it's repairable. We're also busy mocking up little subwoofer boxes and other interior trim before we begin actual fiberglass work.

We made a trip to CarNutz (next to Park Place Ltd. in Bellevue, WA) to pick out interior fabric. We're going with a black and grey color scheme, black vinyl with grey suede. We'll order two types of suede but both the same color - one that has a weave pattern and the other with no pattern to give the interior some diversity.

In other news, the carburetor was farmed out to Carb Connection in Kirkland. It was literally dropped off one day and picked up the next. It should be as good as a new unit. Though I played with the idea of upgrading to a four barrel carb and intake, I decided just to stay with the two barrel set up, as I won't have the fret with hood clearance

The smog pump has been removed, since emissions will no longer be tested (collector plates FTW!). This should free up some power from the motor.

I've picked out a suitable shift from Lokar Performance and will order it shortly. I've also sent out an e-mail to Terry Tanner (a god amongst Bricklin owners) about ordering some replacement body panels, but have yet to hear back. I guess that's what happens when you e-mail a business on Sunday and expect an answer back Monday morning; I'm sure he'll get back to me.

To have the needed extra space in the garage, the Allante has unfortunately been moved to the driveway, underneath a car cover. I'm beginning the think it's jealous; I wanted to drive it to pick up the carburetor, but it wouldn't crank! After some time, it did eventually start. My semi-professional diagnosis is the car is green with envy.

Bricklin Interior Sketches.

2010-04-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

I AM NOT AN ARTIST. The pictures you are about to see are conceptual works to help envision how the Bricklin interior eventually will turn out. They are not drawn to scale or with any sense of professionalism. They are merely visual aids to reference. And they are NOT set in stone.

Perhaps some exposition is needed. The first sketch would be a head on view of the cockpit, as if you were looking at the picture from the dash of the car. We plan to extend the console so that it will "flow" into the hatch area. Note the "Stylized B" - this is an approximation of the Bricklin logo.

The second sketch is an overhead view of the interior, the top being the dash and the very bottom being the hatch area. Note the area behind the seats: this is will be the extension of the console. The exterior B-pillar has three styling louvers; we will duplicate these to add some flair to the design (they will also be integrated in the ceiling very discreetly - the hope is the average looky-lou won't notice). It's hard to put into words, but the area (as marked right and left of the faux louvers) will break away from the center section using the same curve as the dash. We could possibly make those areas some covered storage - I'm thinking of adding in compartments that open much like the gullwing doors. Just another nod to the Bricklin styling.

Those familiar with the car will note this section will be placed directly on top of the battery compartment, disallowing access. The entire unit will move further back into the hatch, allowing access when needed. Since a sizeable air tank is already on board to open the doors, this too will operate using pneumatics! This piece will slide above the smaller piece mounted at the rear of the hatch (this has also been designed to somewhat resemble the front bumper).

I'm still undecided on how the side compartments will flow into the wheel arches; they have been left unfinished for the time being.

Of course, it's hard to tell exactly what's going on in my mind by just looking at these rough sketches. But this will just help show you where the project is heading.

One Week Vacation. Zero Work Done.

2010-04-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

This past week I have been on vacation. I had plenty of time to work on the Bricklin, and made arrangements with Sean (my buddy who is helping with this restoration) to take a few days and make some real progress.

Instead, I've been playing BioShock the last few days.

It's a story. At the beginning of the week, Sean was sick. Then, I caught the same damn illness. The sore throat and vicious cough weren't debilitating, but were severe enough that I had absolutely no work ethic for the project. I'm finally beginning to feel better, and I really want to keep this project moving. I don't want this to become one of those blogs aborted halfway through, or worse yet have this project take years to finish.

Where it stands now:

- I did make some rough sketches of what the interior will end up looking like. Last week, we brainstormed and came up with a general direction for the interior. The plan is to modernize the Bricklin's interior while remaining true to the original design aesthetic. In effect, making it look as though it was designed for the car yesterday. It's certainly ambitious, but I have been assured it A) completely doable and B) fairly simple (at least compared to some things we could be doing).

- I'm not entirely sure of the interior color scheme. I'm thinking black and a charcoal grey two-tone arrangement. I'm also putting some real thought into adding white into the mix, to match the exterior color.

- Carpet has been ordered.

- Mechanically, I'm in a good position. To get the thing running again, all I really need to do is hook up a new carburetor (EDIT: And one faulty vacuum connection). I'm weighing the pros and cons between a 4 barrel and a 2 barrel. The hood doesn't leave much room for clearance; I've heard I'll need to buy a drop base air cleaner to fit in the former.

Seriously, the car will be absolutely sick when it's finished. The only question is, when will it be done? My original August "deadline" is only five months away, and I am having some serious doubts that it will be ready to drive in time. I'll work on scanning my hand drawn design, until then, your imagination will have to suffice.

Meet the Allante.

2010-03-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

I've been writing a lot about the Bricklin lately. I'm balls deep in the restoration, so I guess I'm using this blog to document the process. But this is the car that got me into the world of collector cars:
1988 Cadillac Allante.

<-- I love this photo. Compression has hazed out the details, though.

The Allante was introduced in '87 to be a competitor for the Mecedes SL and Jaguar XJ-S roadsters. Though it's styling was great (Pininfarina designed and built the body) and it received numerous updates throughout its six year run, the Allante never got the prestige or sales of its main rivals, for numerous reasons.

The car's production is interesting. The body was built in Italy, and then flown over the Atlantic Ocean for final assembly in the U.S. It was dubbed "The World's Longest Assembly Line," but it also added to the final cost.

The Allante was based on a shortened Eldorado chassis, making it FWD where the SL was proper RWD. There were many design flaws that made it into production, that were sorted out later. Since this is only the second year of production, a few of those flaws still exist on my car, including its inability to completely be watertight when rain comes.

I saw ad for this car on CraigsList and decided to give the owner a call. It was priced lower than other examples and had more information than other ads (including disclosure of an intermittent error code). When I first saw it, I knew I would buy it. The paint was immaculate, and sparkled in the sun. After a test drive, I told him I'd have to think about it, but to expect a call. I'd basically have first shot (he hadn't had much interest). I called him back the next day and told him I'd take it.

I couldn't pick it up for a few days, as the owner was out of town on business. I spent that time cleaning out the garage to accommodate my latest acquisition. When I went to pick it up, the owner gave me a crash course in the car, going over everything.

Besides a dead battery and the antenna going haywire (all within the first week of ownership, no less), I've had remarkably few problems with the car. It's my main driver when I go to the cruise nights at XXX in Issaquah. It even won first place in its class at the '08 Cadillac LaSalle Club Picnic!

The car is far from perfect, though. There are a few paint chips and covered up body damage on the back bumper. And the intermittent error code E040 (a power steering code) still will occasionally pop up. The leather seats need to be restitched and a little more interior work done. But considering I've only thrown in $100 (new battery) outside of normal maintenance, I feel the car is a perfectly presentable driver. With a little more would it could be really nice, but right now I'm happy to leave well enough alone.

<-- Taken at XXX Cruise Night

Taken in parking lot; uncropped -->

Shaving the Mammoth

2010-03-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Bricklin teardown is nearing completion. The interior is completed, and the only thing remaining in the car is the dash. All that's left to do is shave the mammoth. No, it's not some innuendo.

After the carpet and soundproofing material was removed, the adhesive left some residue on the floarboards. It can best be described as having the same texture of a wooly mammoth. It is nasty. To get it off, I have to take a putty knife and literally scrape down to the fiberglass. Thus is born the phrase "Shaving the Mammoth." The hatch and driver floorpan is mostly done; I'll go out later today and scrape the passenger area and do a quick once over to get anything I missed.

With that finished, we can begin reassembly. My partner in crime, Sean, and I have already come up with some sweet ideas of where we want this project to go. It's going to be sweet when it's done, but right now it's far from.

Operation: Teardown

2010-03-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Bricklin is now in pieces, and receiving its refurbishing on Overhaulin: Garage Edition.

Yesterday, we tore out the side interior hatch panels, back panel, headliner, center console, seats (conveniently sharing rails with a Jeep CJ-5), and various assorted teardown. The interior is now but a shell, with only the dash and steering wheel remaining in place.

In February I told of how, on the return trip from California, the Bricklin leaked water. Though I did my best to dry the affected interior, once the seats and carpet was removed, I uncovered a small puddle remaining. Good thing the floor is fiberglass!

Now begins the arduous task of removing the residue left from the carpet adhesive, and scraping the floor down to bare fiberglass. The hatch area was mostly done last night, but the rest of the car remains. Once that is done, we can install new carpet.

After the day is done, the interior is bare and the car is undriveable. This is the toughest part of the restoration, in my opinion. It is so far from being completed, and I know I have only myself to blame for tearing it apart. It is disheartening, but the negative now should lead to positive dividends in the future, when the car is nearing completion.

Wednesday Night's Bricklin Overview

2010-03-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

A late night Wednesday led to ripping out a lot of botch-job wiring from the Bricklin, including an inoperable alarm system and the world's most ghetto radio (a detachable faceplate unit from the 80s!). My original list of work was only 13 items long. It nearly doubled overnight.

Removal of the carburetor revealed it was uncontrollably dumping fuel into the engine with blatant disregard if it was actually needed. This was flooding the engine. Diagnosis: A bad carburetor. I could opt for a rebuilt, but the original plan was to replace the stock two barrel with a four barrel (if the original timeline called for action much later in the process). It will have to be done sooner.

Further inspection revealed the onboard air pump for the doors was originally meant for air shocks. Not exactly heavy duty equipment (though it explains why it takes nearly twenty minutes to pump the system to 120 psi). Whoever installed the pneumatic system didn’t sweat the details. A heavy duty compressor, new air lines (possibly), and a pressure regulator should make the system dependable.

The new Bricklin work list sits at 25 individual items, TWO of which are finished. Most are small fixes, so it should get whittled down quickly to the imperative items fairly quickly. There’s no rush; I’d like to have it done by August, but that’s not an absolute deadline. Hopefully work will move quickly and I’ll be behind the wheel by then.

A Thunderbird's Tale

2010-03-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

Well, the Thunderbird is finally sold! It's time with me has been long and unexciting, but it's finally over. A review of the "Teal Mobile" can be found elsewhere, but I plan today on clearing my head and recounting the tale of a 1993 Thunderbird LX.

I originally bought the T-Bird after my 1985 Cadillac Eldorado died on me. I was going to college at the time and in dire need of a car. It just so happened the shop mechanic was selling this car. The mileage was high, but the motor had recently been rebuilt. It was ugly, but mechanically reliable. And I absolutely needed a car! With no real other option, I bought it after a quick test drive.

So, the Thunderbird became my only ride for part of my college expedition. It was a rather good car, but a few mechanical problems (two alternators died in 6 months, a bad water pump, a nut fell off INTO THE ENGINE, not in that order) in a short period of time caused me to search for a new ride. That's when I bought the 1999 Cadillac Deville Concours and became a Cadillac owner once more.

For some time, the Thunderbird sat unused. Then I decided to fix whatever issue killed it (I'm honestly not sure what it was now) and get it back on the road. And I did, and it was good. I used the T-Bird as my daily driver while saving the Caddy for dates and special occassions. Somewhere in this time the Caddy was sidelined with the dreaded Northstar head gasket issues and I drove the T-Bird exclusively.

Later on, I bought the Allante convertible for sunny days, and decided to buy the Mazda. The Thunderbird was getting long in the tooth and I was getting tired of it. I sold it to a coworker. It was his ride for about a year, until he expressed interest in selling it back to me. He was in desperate need of cash, but first I needed to see if anyone else would be willing to purchase it. I wasn't going to get stuck with a 5th car (I had just bought the Bricklin).

The caliper was leaking brake fluid pretty bad, so I had to fix that before I could even offer a test drive. I deemed the car to dangerous to drive before that was fixed.

Turns out there was, so I bought it back and spent the next few weeks trying to get the new buyer to close the deal. He's a good kid, but needed two test drives and a lowering of my initial asking price to finally OK the deal.
The previous owner is happy to have it off his hands, the new owner is happy to have a car, and I have a little extra money in my pocket. It's a good situation all around.

Work Begins...

2010-03-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

I knew the Bricklin wouldn't be completely perfect and that work would need to be done. I've compiled a list of both mechanical and cosmetic issues that need to be addressed. Most are minor things like fluid changes.

A recent overview of the engine (necessitated by an intermittent stall) revealed three more items to add:

1) The water pump is failing. It is not leaking, but it is obvious something is not right inside.
2) The intake manifold gasket is shot.
3) I have a vacuum leak somewhere that needs to be addressed, most likely causing the engine to stall.

These have now become my top priority. They will be dealt with promptly.

In other news, I've been driving the Allante the last few days. The hardtop was removed yesterday, and it's ready for Spring/Summer 2010.

I Feel Better...

2010-02-13T17:41:00.000-08:00

I am in perfect physical and emotional (well, perhaps not mental) health. But I realized that, with the purchase of the Bricklin, I now own five cars.

My current fleet:
1) 2004 Mazda 3
2) 1999 Cadillac Deville Concours
3) 1993 Ford Thunderd LX
4) 1988 Cadillac Allante
5) 1975 Bricklin SV-1

Even though the Thunderbird will soon be sold, four cars is still more than enough for my automotive needs.

But I felt better after reading Jamie Kitman's article in Automobile magazine (page 26, if you're interested). Mr. Kitman's current fleet numbers TWENTY-TWO vehicles!

My favorite sentence: "Though my net worth is distinctly negative, my view of old cars remains extremely positive." Pure literary mastery, my friends.

Two Seats. Unconventional Body Construction. Gullwing Doors.

2010-02-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

(Or: How I bought the Most Impractical Car Ever.)

I can't imagine how the collector car market worked before the internet. The hobby must have been much more local; scanning the newspaper for a certain make or relying on word of mouth. For the more serious, Hemmings was most likely the only game in town for finding a dream car acrossthe country.

I have CraigsList (and the multitude of sites that will browse the entirety of CL) to thank for my most recent purchase. After watching this ad being continuously reposted over the course of a year, often with a lower and lower asking price, I decided to contact the owner through e-mail, leaving my name and number. I received a call back a few hours later.

Orphan cars are an anomaly. The majority of people may frown upon, be misinformed, or not even know the orphan in question. At a car show, how much crap does the average Corvair owner get for it being "unsafe?" How many people ask a DeLorean owner when the car will be painted? If a Hillman pulled into the local cruise night, would you know what it was?

The mainstream just isn't my style. And the communities that own and operate orphans are usually tightly knit. Factory support is nonexistant. Often it's the tenacity and know-how of the owners that keep the cars on the road. I decided early on my next "collector" car would be an oddball, and most likely an orphan. I don't want to be the seventh guy at the cruise night with a '57 Chevy.

With that being said, what could be more nonconformist than a 1975 Bricklin SV-1?

After talking with the owner on the phone, I let him know I was serious and would be buying a plane ticket out. The worst case scenario: I fly down, find the car isn't good, and have a little vacation down in California. He let me know he thought the car could make a road trip to Seattle. Shipping prices were cost prohibitive, especially considering the fun and adventurous alternative.

Nothing could be safer than driving a 35 year old car 1200 miles from L.A. to Seattle.

Upon first sight, I already saw some issues which needed addressing, but nothing too serious. Some of the acrylic body panels had minor stress cracks; a common problem. There was a small leak in the pneumatic system (which power the gullwing doors). If left overnight, the air pressure will be low. There is an onboard air pump, but it is unregulated and the on/off switch is located in the rear driver wheel well (the least practical idea ever - to turn off the pump you must exit the car, which in itself wastes precious air pressure). The fuel gauge fluctuates wildly, and only gives you a general idea of how much gas you have until empty. All small annoyances, but most importantly they are all easily addressable.

Before it sounds like I got myself into a money pit, let me say the mechanicals were all in fantastic running order. It couldn’t hurt that the previous owner also owned an engine performance shop. Everything worked as it should. The engine ran like a champ and the transmission shifted without a problem. He warned me the tires were old, but held air fine, but should probably be replaced before the journey.

After the test drive, I gathered my thoughts and offered slightly less than his asking price. Mostly to help cover the expense of new tires and a bit of the travel expenses. He accepted, so off to the bank we went to shock the tellers by withdrawing a couple thousand dollars. However, this was where the fun really began.

The now former owner really helped me out after the sale. I had to return my rental; he picked me up from the airport afterwards. He had replacement radiator hoses and an extra air tank, as well as a few other miscellaneous parts. He had called the tire place in advance so they would be ready to install replacements as soon as I arrived. It was nice to see the previous owner was dedicated to the car, and explained every knob function and idiosyncrasy of the car before I went on my way. It was starting to get dark as the tires were being put on, and we hit the local AutoZone to pick up some new wiper blades and a few other emergency roadside supplies. Before we finished, his wife showed up to take one last look at the car and we said our final goodbyes.

My original plan was to run the PCH through California, cruise the Oregon coast, and hop over to I-5 from Long Beach, WA. Common sense prevailed, and I decided I-5 would be the most practical route home.

Overall (and thankfully), the trip was uneventful. The first night ended at the Comfort Inn in Stockton, CA (just shy of Sacramento), and I awoke to partly cloudy skies. I avoided rain until through Grant’s Pass, but then it really began pouring down. Good thing I had new wiper blades. At this point I found the Bricklin isn’t entirely waterproof, due to a combination of 35 year old weatherstripping and lackluster fit and finish. Fortunately one of my AutoZone purchases was some painter’s tape, which handily covered any area I deemed guilty of interior sogginess. I soldiered on. The rain stopped the moment I drove over into Washington. It was surreal. I arrived in Longview, WA exhausted and frustrated. The seating position is not comfortable for a long drive.

A few days in Longview really helped to clear my mind, and ease my slight buyer‘s remorse. The final drive greeted me with nothing but sunshine. It’s now parked in the garage, and I own a Bricklin.

The Genesis.

2010-02-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Here begins the reincarnation of "My Life on Four Wheels," a blog I started on Myspace roughly three years ago that detailed my exploits, and most importantly, the automotive scene in and around Seattle, WA.

My Myspace page is all but defunct, but I find myself with a little extra time on my hands lately. This page should be updated regularly as time sees fit. Feel free to contact me through e-mail.