July 1st, 2006

Today was going to be great, the wing was due @ 8AM and I was set to take a day off work and run out to San Francisco to pick it up. I'll mention that I don't drive my truck much, other then running back and forth to the hardware store, the dumps, etc… So I set out early to avoid the heat and right off I realize that I don't have much gas in the tank, actually just fumes so I grab an empty gas can just in case and head down the mountain to the gas station (about 7-8 miles). And what do you know but I make it without incident, must be my lucky day! While refueling I notice a penny just under my fuel tank, so I pick it up- you know for “good luck”. So I’m now off to SF to pick up the wing. Armed with Map Quest driving directions, phone confirmation that the wing has arrived, and of course my good luck penny. This is where it gets good; so I’m following a cab headed to SF and taking his time about it. I pass him and think nothing of it; next thing you know he’s in front of me again and all of a sudden out of nowhere a large chunk of wood, metal, who knows what comes out from under the cab (we’re traveling at least 65MPH at this point) and smacks the front of my truck. I didn’t realize how heavy the object was until that point. So I shake it off and count my lucky stars that the thing didn’t fly up into my windshield. It’s scary how quick things can happen at speed. So 5-10-15 minutes pass and no signs of trouble. Now I’m in SF and struggling with the Map Quest directions when I realize that Map Quest has directed me right into the worst part of town- the projects. After a few minutes it’s clear that I’m nowhere near the port of SF and then all of a sudden I catch a whiff of antifreeze, then again, now I’m starting to panic, I’m really in danger if I break down in this part of town. So I speed out of the area as quick as possible hoping that I’m just lost. 2 minutes later there’s steam rising out from under my hood. I scramble hoping to find a place to park or better yet a gas station or repair shop. 2 minutes pass and the radiator dumps its remaining coolant all over the 76 gas station parking lot that I just pulled into.

Long story short- $494 and 2 hours later I’m back out looking for the depot again. Still lost and now I’m hearing a loud exhaust noise, louder, louder, and now I’m hearing something scrapping under the truck- did I mention I’m lost again and back in the projects. So I find a safe place to pull over (next to an abandoned car and 100 yards from the closest bum or drug-addict), I look under the truck and the freaking muffler is hanging by a thread, I can’t believe it, it ain’t my day. So I climb under the truck kick the muffler a couple of times until it falls to the ground, I quickly jump in the truck and race the hell out of there. In hindsight it was pretty funny- I ran over the muffler as I sped away under full exhaust note. At that point I decided that it was time to "get out of Dodge" and I headed for the freeway. I was bummed, after all that, still no wing. It took me 1.5 hours to get home; luckily I didn’t get a ticket for the open exhaust.

So that’s how I described my day to my wife as I drove home. To my surprise and amazement she was able to borrow a truck from a co-worker and secretly headed out to the depot to pick up my wing. I couldn’t believe it, she had it home within an hour after I arrived in the battle mobile. I am a lucky guy- maybe that’s what the penny represented?

So we opened and unloaded the crate- nice job BTW building that crate. The wing looks better then I expected so at the end of the day I was happy.

So that’s the story about picking up the wing now take a look at how I mounted the wing to the car. It took four trips to Pick-n-Pull before I had the correct hinges to mount the wing the way I wanted it. I am still fine tuning the mounting and plan on a very large air vent across the rear deck/engine cover. You’ll see some early planning with the black tape on the deck lid. I hope to have the deck lid functional by next weeks BBQ.

Over and out,

Chris

That is around the corner from my house...can I bring the 1.7?

T

Felix.. you know the likelyhood of that... lol

I think 10 cars max, probably 5 or 6.. but a lot of guys without rides (just a hunch)


andrew

Im definately coming... with a friend.

Problem is.. its going to be 108+....

Thats a LOT of heat for a primer black 914 with little interior...

I might drive a 944...

But im coming...

Andrew

Felix... Just bring a random box of stuff your planning to use for the Neo....

lol

That will get us Oooing and Ahhing for hours.....

Andrew

Looks like a great time. Sorry I couldn't make it. (really sorry)

And thanks to Mike P and all who helped Andrew get back on the road. He made it as far as Pleasanton and unfortunatly had a big time overheat. He parked it and called for a tow truck. Apparently there are a bunch of people in the same boat as the truck was delayed 2 hours. Anyway it's been a learning experience for him. We all have to go thru something like this at one time or another. Ask me sometime about changing a rear end in a 64 Dodge truck on a mountain back road to Cherry Lake at 2 in the morning.