Ok...update on CAMARO related stuff...I am yanking the drivetrain from the 80z to go in the 73 rs. Frankly, the rs is in much better shape body AND interior wise, and just plain looks more sexy. This has also brought to mind thoughts of selling the 80 again, which I would rather not do, but I dunno.... Bills are looming pretty damn heavy, and I could really use the other garage bay to keep snow and ice off the truck this winter. It would really suck having to scrape ice, esp when I finally HAVE a garage. the 80z is my dream car, the only thing wrong with it is it doesn't have t-tops. Have a lead once again on a t-roof for it, but would end up costing me another $200 bux that I don't have. Just don't know. My uncertainty is affecting everything else as well. dating...indecisive. job hunting...indecisive and not aggressive. You HAVE to be aggressive to find a job around here now, and I'm just not doing it. I KNOW I can't keep fixing on either car, let alone both until I can afford it again. Yah, it makes much more sense to sell the 80, I can always find another.

From academic to computer nerd, it seems that I keep picking the professions that leave me able to keep my head in the clouds and dealing with my own version of reality. I used to think learning about and from the human condition was fun, now I think it is utterly depressing. Especially now, when the slowed economy of our nation has many professionals scrambling for employment, and it takes a keen clear mind to make a living, I am still debating and comparing "my" reality of things, which is in stark contrast to the real world. No wonder I'm high strung.

Been fiddling with the *free* website, although still planning on hosting on my own pc sooner or later. ;) Have torn down a 350 that I got from a sorta local (hour away) drag racer. What's neat, is what numbers are left seem to be from the same year as the 73. Still haven't been able to tell what it came out of, but would be neat if it was original block coming back home. Water was in oil pan, but heads were off for god knows how long.
Been fiddling with the 80, since she's still my #1 girl. Still lookin to put t-tops on her, but t-roofs I have found have either been way too expensive, or one guy that has 'em has had me waitin 2 1/2 months with no pix yet. With new fuel pump, oil pump, & carb, I think I will have that "cutting out" problem fixed. I'm still kickn myself in the butt for having someone else do the brakes (got royally bent over) and moving the battery to the front, but I didn't have a garage at the time, and even less tools.
One thing I will say is that you know who your friends are when you're broke and don't know anything. I'm still broke, but now that I have a garage to work in, and at least a few tools, I now know more than either of the wanna be streetracer/gearheads that still try to hang out and swill all my booze. If they start inviting people over to see my camaro's one more time tho, there will be an asswhuppin. 2nd gens were rare 4 years ago when I first moved back here. Nowadays, they seem to have been passed down to spoiled kids who immediately tear the @#$ out of them (that's where I got the 80) or someone sells them for a rediculous amount (too high or too low) Most of the local 2nd gen owners I have met have been outright pricks too. The ones I saw at the moonlight madness car show were cool tho 2nd gens came out of the woodwork then! My point is that broke and barely keeping the bills together as I am now, I have committed to keeping my camaros. Even if one of them has to go, I will NOT be camaroless again. I will keep one (preferably both) no matter what happens. *grin* If I end up having to live in one, at least it will be hot, and be able to get me to the unemployment office and back in record time.
Currently, the 80 is closest to running shape. However, it is also the worst body and interior wise. If I had money, I would tear it down and restore(ify) Since I don't, my goal at the moment is to get them both running (or at least close to it) I have not fiddled with 73 much, been concentrating on the 80. Tried to sell 80 engineless (for a rediculous amont, I'll admit) and didn't get any takers. So, every time I've had a bit of extra $$$ I've gone and got the minor stuff (fuel pump, oil pump, throttle bracket) Now I'm saving for space heater and creeper so I can work after it gets cold(er)
The only thing I worry about, is not having EITHER of these cars in excellent shape soon. My fathers side of the family has a history of heart disease, I've had some uncles and cousins and such die at my age (25) While I am in good enough health, I get nervous about not being able to take either one out before I die. Morbid, huh? I worry about the things about as much as I would kids if I had them, I guess. I can't die before the 80's done tho. I promised my sister it would be fixed and shiny by the time she went to her junior prom. She started as a freshman this year, so I better hurry up! The 73 would probably go to my youngest brother who is 9 this month. Dunno if either of them would ever appreciate them, but hope that they would....

In world news today, the poor sob that runs this site decided to go back to free hosting to temporarily avoid the insanity that is running his own server. If customer service at the poor guys cable modem isp werent so darn sh***y, he would happily be hosting many hits a day (yeah right). In any case, I'm back to free hosting. ya, it sucks, but the uptime is something to be fairly satisfied with. In local news, lack of funds has kept both monsters from hitting the pavement. But that is what winter is for...saving up and buying parts!

Been fiddling with the 80z off and on, as spare change has permitted. And, after installing new tranny fluid and filter, which it didn't need (but playing it safe is cool), I discovered that the tranny gasket was trash, and the tranny pan bolts were less than hand tight....And I had been driving around off and on in this thing! I also found out that old qjet carb's "throttle ball" was a machined down door stop. I never really looked at it seriously before, and it had caused me many a day of consternation. Also been having a bit of time figuring out all the vacuum lines and such...at least till I accidentally found the digi pictures I took of it a few months back. I had originally thought that the reason why the car cut out at stops and red lights was because the carb needed rebuilt. Seeing as how the the vacuum line from the brake booster to the carb was nearly pinched shut, I thought this was a valid assumption. We all know what happens when we ASSUME, don't we? Well, when I finally drove the car home from my "buddy's", it did it again. A few days later, I started noticing a pool of oil getting larger, and larger, and larger. At this point in time, I got a bit depressed, after new carb, leaf springs, bushings and all, I just didn't have money to throw at it anymore. Well, when I changed the tranny pan filter and gasket, I finally took a look. While it seems like the rear oil pan seal may have had some blow by, I'm pretty convinced the oil pump is going. My "buddies" keep telling me that can't be so, but my "buddies" don't know jack. The way I figure it, even if it isn't the pump, it's cheap insurance against putting a hole in the block (did that once when I drove my old buick with a bad pump home, restarting every 10 seconds). The only thing I really fear is if I have already done damage to it, although I haven't driven it much, besides to the odd repair shop and back, I used to take it around the block once every coupla weeks when I lived in my apt. I have figured out that my electrical gremlins for the most part are caused by a severed ground. The main ground that goes from the firewall to the block was chewed thru in 3 diffrent places. While everything else has bite marks, nothing except the ground is all the way through. Right now, all I'm doing is wrapping up the little stuff: vacuum lines and such, machine and install block off plate, then install oil pan gaskets, seals, and pump, and it should be driving again. When i get that done, I can redo the top rear leaf spring bushings that were ignored last time, try to do something to the rear frame rails(bleach scarring), then concentrate on front suspension. After that, all that'll be left is t-top install, body work, paint and interior. The body work is my main concern, because cutting and welding will be involved, and it's not something I've done before. But there's a first time for everything, so we'll see how it goes. I have also decided that subframe connectors are a must.

test 3....trying to get blogger to work with my ftp server

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Life sux....was gonna put a funny, amusing, and ANTI-depressing rant here, since depressing is all I seem to have here....but been locked outta garage all week, and I can't even change my bloody oil till leasing company gets off their duff and gives me the garage keys which they shoulda given me a month ago when I moved in....
On a positive note, found a bit of help getting the camaro's runnin, and finally gettin off MY duff to get website up and running. Hope I can keep going with it.
On a another depressing note, job is playing out....will probably be unemployed by this friday ;-(

tune up fun: past weekend, I decided to give the daily driver PROJECT D a tune-up and oil change. I figured since the last time the plugs had been changed was 2 years ago at the dealer, that it was high time to get to it. Well, family life intervened ALL weekend, and I didn't get to the plugs till like 7 in the evening sat nite. Keep in mind that I have a little toyota with the I-4, and the plugs are straight down thru the top of the valve cover. it shouldn't be real hard, right? Well, that's when things went horrbily wrong. Plug one, no problem...plug 2, no problem....plug 3 was an iron bitch to get to, and had wires from the fi and the intake all over, around, and on top of it. No prob, go for # 4, then get back to it right? Get to #4, which is closest to the firewall, not hard to get to from the side, tho. Plug takes a while to come out...no prob...pop the next one in, and can't get it to seat....SOB, the thread is screwed....literally! The only other people that touched this engine were the service folks at the TOYOTA dealership, when I handed them 500 bux for their "recommended 100k checkup" 500 bux to tell me nothing was wrong, although an acc short had damn near started a fire in the car, and the bright orange check engine light was still on. "oh, but an o2 sensor and catalytic converter don't just die, sir....we'll reset the computer, and if it comes on again, let us know." light came on again 15 minutes later, and they were trying to get me to make an APPOINTMENT to take another 100 bux for an "engine diagnostic" What do I need a diagnostic for, if u already told me nothing was wrong? Being the only toyota dealership in the city, they can do this sort of thing, it seems....Which is why I've never been back. But that's beside the point. The fun really began as I went back to plug 3. As I said before, a whole bunch of other stuff was in the way that I didn't feel like taking apart, so I loosened, and pulled and prodded....and finally got the #3 boot off. get the plug out a little later, and am ready to drop the last one in. Getting dark, better hurry! Mosquitos....eating me alive gotta hurry! Hurried too much and dropped #3 plug in the wrong way....doh! what made matters worse....didnt' have one of those handy little parts grabbers to snatch it back out. No prob, call the parental unit (known as mom) "Hey, feel like comin over for dinner?" "WHY? why don't u wanna come over here? Is your car not running or something?" "look, are u comin over or what? i wanna borrow the car for 5 seconds!" get said car, go and get parts retriever. get back under hood....gee it's pretty dark. I'll just turn the outside garage light on....well, couldn't do that, cause I locked myself outta the garage! DOH! good thing I called the parental unit instead of walkin up the street to the parts store....walkin back twice woulda pissed me off! Back at the parts store..."gimme a shop light and an extenstion cord" "weren't u just here?" "ya, but I locked myself outta my @#$#% garage" "u look tired dude, grab yourself a pop" bonus. finally got plug in, and parental unit on her way home...all BEFORE midnite. Only in my case, does it take $50 to change ONE spark plug.....;)

Finally picked up 73....drove 3.5 hours up (redlining the bloody FORD out of the little blue oval uhaul), and about 5.5 hours back, 185 odd miles at 45 miles an hour...u do the math. Got home, then stayed up all nite moving out all the spare parts and....stuff that the guy have me with the car. Ignoring the fact that I lost a wheel on the trailer, and two hours trying to get outta my driveway onto a busy main intersection with said flat tire, the rest of the 73's trip to it's new home was uneventful. Then I spent the rest of sunday and monday moving, as I finally crashed sat nite. Just got done moving yesterday, so haven't had time to play with either vehicle yet. Had been considering selling the 80 in favor of turning the 73 into a real rod....but like all broke and lonely men, I think I'm gonna dream big and keep both (I can already hear howls of protest from the family...good thing I don't live with any of them) Got a cool little fiberglass hood with the 73...never installed. Still trying to decide whether to sell it or keep it....need $$$, but kik ass, and don't have another hood at the moment. What scares me most about having this hobby (besides the godawful prices you have to pay for stuff) is the fact that now that I'm getting into it (and it IS fun, most of the time), I find it hard to find anything else entertaining to do. This month I have played some video games....before that, I hadn't touched the old dreamcast or ps in months....Have some pc games I picked up months ago as well....haven't even opened the boxes....and I used to be such a game freak too. Don't really read anything anymore except for stuff that deals with cars, or with my next computer certification. It's scary, I tell ya. I dunno if I touched on it earlier, but having know nothing, good for nothing, moochin, freeloading ass 'carbuddys' (all of whom range from 2 -5 years younger than me) has been a frustrating experience as well. Besides the setback with the house, I was so desperate the week b4 last, that I was gonna rent a uhaul up in manhattan, drive up there to pick it up, and have a friend drive my truck while I drove the uhaul back down. Well, as I said, I was desperate, and I asked this chick who I had bought a coupla parts from if she wouldnt mind goin up with me, seeing as she lived directly on the way, and her old man could come too, if she wanted. I would pay gas and everything, just needed a body behind the wheel. Well, got a sure! on monday. So grateful, I am doing free tech support for this chick all week long to keep her p.o.s comcrap runnin. Oh, everythings fine till friday, tellin her about the car, chattin with her, asking about her old man, and offerin to help her with her car and everything (and I was sincere, dammit!) Friday comes, it's 10'o clock at nite, I'm goin thru final checklist with her, when she starts actin funny. Disinterested, wierd, as in when u take your wife or g/f to hooters or something. Hey, did u see that touchdown, honey? "yeah, wonderful". I'm feeling the vibes, but ignoring them, cause what else can I do? All of a sudden...."But I don't want to go" What? "I don't want to go" umm, do you realize it's 10 at nite, the nite b4 we're supposed to go? You DO realize, I've been working on this deal for the past month and a half? "yeah, but I don't want to go anymore, lol" Gentle readers, if you've read any of my other blogs, u will quickly realize that I don't have a very good temper. I get pissed easily, and I hold grudges...but that nite I was in top form. I didn't scream, yell or curse. I took a deep breath (I had really been expecting something like this...after all, there's a reason why this cock-teasing bitch doesn't have any other friends). I just took it in stride, and dealt with it. What else could I do?

problems, problems....had to reschedule picking up the 73 by a week, cause the house all of a sudden isn't gonna BE ready for another week....all this rushing about to move into the place and all of a sudden..."oh, instead of being ready to move THIS friday, can u wait another week?" !@#$. anyway, dude was understanding, all that's driving me nutz his having to wait before I can tear one car apart, and start putting the other together....although I know all I'll be doing is waiting, since I'll be having to buy tools and parts on the way. I'm in full swing for my next certification test too, just hope I can be ready so I can hurry up and get going on the mcse....last monday, coming home from work, noticed a dark patch under the 80....as the week has gone by, the patch has gotten larger. Seal has gone...!@##%$ dont know if it's the oil pan or tranny, but cause it seemed red, but the oil in the engine was pretty dirty in the first place (former owner just dumped more oil in with the old, I'm guessing) been too pissed to look and see for sure too. But it's been slowly spreading out, and it's pissing me off, which of course is making waiting to be able to tear it apart worse. Plus, I'm getting tired of ricers and rustangs, and even other f-body's and full size trucks buzzin by and messing with me in my daily driver....although I cant' blame them....a toyota minit truck with altezza's bumping techno with the sound of revving motors in it? the volume is coming down, and the altezza's are coming off dammit! at least until I can shove something decent under that hood....damn, I have my projects for the next 10 years or so, don't I?

It's Friday!!! Finally got carb back on Lucille, and will be taking possession of the house on the 12th...next weekend. Now I just gotta make sure that the carb isn't on backwards, and replace or repair the connections that I broke to get that old q-jet carb off. Even with all the delays for parts, I enjoyed switching out the carb, and am looking forward to finally being able to do REAL work to it...especially since the house itself may be a bit of a pit...Neway, the only hurdle I have left is getting the new car down here, then real life will be rearing it's ugly head, as I will have NO money for bills, and tags will be coming up the next month....NOT the best time to start job hunting which is what I"ll have to do as well. At least when everything settles down, I'll be able to update this thing with real technical info instead of rambling and babbling.

http://music.msn.com/topten/?topten=1081

Well, it appears that I don't update this thing daily, like I originally intended to, huh? That's the way of the internet tho. The Camaro still sits, but I have finagled a rental house with a 2 car garage to live in for the next year. The problem that has damn near kept me awake nights is that I STILL don't have tools, and money that I could use to get tools I may be spending on a NICE 2nd gen....thing is in pieces, but much better shape than my current pile. I go tomorrow to look at it, scraping for gas the whole way, and wondering if this is really such a good idea....Especially since I don't know if I can swing both at the same time. Ah well, tune in next week....

Well, spent all weekend just trying to get the carb transplant done...the old, anemic q-jet is being replaced by a holley 750. Why did it take all weekend? Well, 1st problem is it rained ALL DAY saturday....and when I say all day, I mean exactly that. So, carb swap was done yesterday....kinda. I forgot some little things like carb studs...(u mean the bolts from the qjet wont work?) and an egr block of plate....of course NO ONE in town has a block off plate when I need one, but was practically tripping over them when I didn't....then of course there's the fact that I broke stuff getting the old carb off...(throttle linkage? I wont need that!) So now, she sits, AGAIN....one of these days, this'll be easy, I swear...
Startin to think hard about just puttin the damn thing somewhere and accumulating tools to do a sub-frame off resto....don't wanna, since I know I don't have the money or time, but the more stuff I replace on this thing, the more problems that show up that I need to fix be4 I can get to driving it....it's truly a basketcase. My 'ol carbuddy got his nova home, and got his old 85 Cutlass runnin (barely) I think he's happy, and as I said b4, I'll be damned if I ever ask nebody for help again. Need a new apt and job pretty quick, I think the project will have to sit AGAIN, while I take care of priorities....*SIGH* so much for having this thing ready to drive for the summer....

Finally! Exhaust has been kicked into place. Although space is STILL tight, it doesn't rub against tire or brake line nemore, so it will be good to drive around on, as long as I'm careful about the many potholes, speedbumps, and canyons that make up the streets of this town. Tomorrow I go to put the camaro back on my insurance, and when I get off work, I will pick her up and finally take her home. Patience, which has never been my best virtue when dealing with PEOPLE, has been sorely tested, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I now realize why most of the older carnuts and mechanics I knew were so truculent and irritable all the time. It's all the B.S. one goes thru when havin to deal with people that have no clue....What makes it all the worse is that keepin your car runnin seems to be an art, not a science, and everyone has a diffrent opinion on everything. That in itself would be cool, if I could actually get opinions from people that know what they're doin. My "buddy" has been showing bit by bit, that he doesnt know what he's doin. It's not that I don't appreciate his help, (he does have a knack for rusty front shocks) but dammit, I'm gettin tired of him fiddling with somethin for five minutes, given up and wonderin off, then tellin me I need to hurry and get my car out so he can get his 3rd non working car towed home. I'm still kikn myself in the butt, cause he argued ME into bringing it there in the first place, and now all I hear is bitchin..."What did I talk myself into?" "Is it done yet?" "We need to hurry up and get this outta here" Jesus Christ, I will NEVER depend on neone for help AGAIN. If I can't figure it out myself, fuk it. Can u tell I've been a bit frustrated? I mean, I've BEEN wantin the damn car back home, but I don't bitch about in incessently every day. This man's brother has been a godsend, cause if he hadn't been around, I would have been proper fukd, and know I woulda been payin several hundred to get the damn leafsprings in. If I wanted someone to fuck up my car, shrug and say "when are u takin it home?" I coulda gone to the local votech or something.

Well, once AGAIN, it will be time to pick up my baby from my "buddy's" house. Oh, I still think of her everyday, too! Although now, I have started dubbing her "the iron bitch" for all the trouble she has been causin me. Although, as soon as I start thinking that, I know it's not the fault of the car....it's just the fault of the previous dumbass owner, and me, for being stupid enuf to buy it in the first place. But, I needed a car to learn on...and I am indeed learning....the HARD way. This evening after work, I will be putting on an entire new brake line, which will be replacing the line which originally went to both rear brakes. This, by the way, is going back and doing work that should of been done by the guy I gave $600 bucks for brake work in the first place! Still kinda pissed that said friend got drunk, had me driving his ass all over town and then lost my damn remote to my cd player. It's not like I ever use the thing, but its MINE and when u're anal about other people messing with your stuff, and then lose your friends junk, that's not very cool. I think it's finally almost over tho, but I'm not partyin yet, cause every time the car seems ready to go, and my "buddy" starts partying, then something else fuks up. T