New Discovery: How to speed your 914 project along, Makes weeks of progress in days!! Options

[Brian Mifsud]

Wife calls me at work on friday about a notice in the mail, dated the day before. My '76 is parked at the rearmost of my lot-length driveway (basically in my backyard). My 1930's single car garage can either house the car, or my shop tools, but not both.

After sitting under a car cover for a few years, and registered "non-op", the city decided to (or was prompted by a neighbor) to take a look-see, and let me know I have 10 (now 9) days to move the car into a covered garage, or get its registration current, or it will towed. City code check showed they have right to enter property to inspect, and tow/remove any unregistered/immobile/"Junk"/etc vehicle if they want to. Now I'm panicing!


City code states that the only acceptable situation for keeping an unregistered car on my property is if I keep in a fully enclosed garage (backyard with 6' - 8' fences don't count). (I'm screwed! Visions of chaining my car to a few spare boat anchors, engine blocks, and my house foundation in a desperate attempt to foil the tow truck driver are dancing through my head!)

I had removed the cover three weeks ago, and jacked up the nose to service the leaking fuel tank lines (all new now). I had made the mistake of leaving it on the jacks after I completed the job because I was refinishing the belly pan and hadn't reinstalled it yet (all the under coating was gone from the leaking gas). Since it was on jackstands, the roof of the car was visible from the street if you made an effort to look for it (after passing the boat on a trailer and a hedge!)

I tried to contact the cities "abatement officer" on friday, but could only get a voisemail. Panic heightened.

I spent the whole weekend and monday in a marathon thrash festival of digging up parts from dusty storage, degreasing/reassembling the engine, refinishing sheetmetal, replacing all hoses/seals etc. Pulled all the emissions equipment out of the basement, picking through my ebay purchases of '76 emissions gear to find good air pump, air injection-manifolds, anti-reversal valve, brackets etc (dropped the good pump and broke the cast iron pulley, thankfully had a backup on the "frozen" pump).

Finally, monday afternoon, the "abatement officer", called me back. A very sweet sounding woman explained to me that it was mostly a safety concern with the car jacked up. I reassured her that it was off the jacks now (why hadn't she called me back on friday.. it took all of 25 seconds to drop the car back down). I asked her what I could do about the "10 day timer" now, with only 7 days left (not sure if my new clutch is the right part as it was purchased for 930 engine to 901 transaxle). She said the "timer" was fully in her control, and don't worry about it... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)
She said she'd come out and verify the car was not a safety hazard any longer, and that she'd work with me on getting it up and running again. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

The long and short of it.. I got 2 or 3 weeks worth of "evenings and weekends" out of the way, and hopefully will be smogging the car late this week. I thanked her for being so reasonable. I mentioned I had taken a day off work to get it done in time, and she was immediately apologetic (amazing, this is a city employee!), and said her intention was not to put THAT much pressure on me.


A little pressure can go a long way in motivation... I don't recommend this type however....phew....

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

Similar neighborhood thread in the VW Vortex (Home Improvement forum). My story:

QUOTE

originally posted by corpsedub » get really drunk one day and sit outside in a lawn chair... let your inabitions go i lived in a rough neighborhood(hunters point /bayview) san francisco). i always had people eyeing me up and down and looking at my car all the time..i eventually got a little tired of the disrespect and decided that every friday i would sit outside in a lawn chair and get drunk. it was great. eveyone thought i was crazy and didnt want to walk on my side of the street. after awhile i took it too far and i would sit with my mossberg 590 strapped to my bandolier across my back blasting deathmetal through a small boombox. sometimes, you just gotta go one up. sometimes you have to go 10 orders of magnatude up.

LOL!!!
Best frickin' advice! My story:
My neighborhood is 1960's suburbia but pretty nice. It's the God-damn old farts that are my hell! One temporarily parked, ratty looking air-cooled VW and suddenly I'm visited by the Sheriff with a tow tag (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif) Talk to me in person? Noooo. So, since I'm "allowed" one junk vehicle in my yard (can't be on the street) I pushed it in the yard and didn't mow for about two weeks (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif)

I actually had a friend look for a fridge and couch so we could dump them on the lawn. Yes, I made that sign the same day the VW went on the lawn and it stayed there the whole time! My friends & family were aghast and couldn't believe I 1. Put the sign up and, 2. Left it there for a couple weeks. But it's MY home and an enthusiast has to do what an enthusiast has to do, even if it isn't popular

Since that day I simply ignore the pricks. They wave, I ignore. No acknowledgement whatsoever. On their evening walks if I happen to be outside and they say something (which, funny, have actually been compliments since I've been landscaping) I'll say "thanks" and keep on working, no emotion, no conversation and no eye contact. They leave me alone now. But it's funny because there are seven kids in the neighborhood and they ALL wave to me and say hi and talk when I'm out and I'm equally friendly back. I'm on very good terms with the parents as well (well, I've worked on everyone's car one way or another since I'm the neighborhood mechanic (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smash.gif) ). And all this happens in front of the old farts (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/flipa.gif)
(IMG:http://www.icbm.org/erkson/temp/vw_yard.jpg)

P.S. The little pink/red rectangle on the drive side window it the 'move in 24 hours of we'll tow it!' tag (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/mad.gif)