Complete! Er... sort of.

"Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
02/21/2019 at 23:37 • Filed to: Exocet

Today was a big day. I had an 8am appointment at the DMV for the Exocet. I got there at 7:45 . I got right in, I got right up to the window, and then things went as you would expect. The term “Your Mileage May Vary” has never been more true!

The last time I went to the DMV (for my other car), the clerk barked at me for handing her too much paperwork at once and she wanted it one at a time. This time, I got barked at for not handing her my paperwork all at once.

She was convinced she could do it without looking up the memo (despite having never done it before) but almost immediately hit roadblocks. After about an hour of walking back and forth and getting supervisors, they finally took my advice and looked up the memo on how to do it. They then stepped right through without any issues lickety split.

They assigned the serial number as the VIN in the paperwork and handed me a temp tag. They mentioned that the process has changed a bit since it first started and that (at least in my case, YMMV), a CHP trip isn’t necessary - just a VIN check by th e DMV or licensed checker, B&L, and smog.

When I got home, I went back to my day job work until 5pm when I jumped over to the Exocet. I threw the mirrors on, windshield wiper, refilled the coolant (put a new gasket on water inlet), put the hood back on, adjust the brake light switch, and backed it out of the driveway!

The plan was to back it out of the driveway, and if that went well, take it around the block, and if that went well, go fill the gas tank.

I got it halfway out of the driveway.

I heard the fenders rub and immediately pulled back into the garage. That’s when I heard a famili ar sound.

One of the coolant lines that I worked around had come loose and it was spewing a good amount of coolant. Well - there’s always tomorrow night!

DISCUSSION (20)

NKato > Nick Has an Exocet
02/22/2019 at 00:05

Clearance is a bitch.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Nick Has an Exocet
02/22/2019 at 00:08

God damn. If you brought this to the PNW meet, that'd be amazing

glemon > Nick Has an Exocet
02/22/2019 at 00:13

A few years back I restored an old Triumph. I swear I clamped everything down, but first drive hydraulic pipes and coolant hoses were leaking all over. Keep testing and adjusting and fixing til things don’t need fixing anymore. Simple formula, but it works.

Nick Has an Exocet > glemon
02/22/2019 at 00:20

Yep! I’ve adjusted the 1/10/100 miles tests to the 0.01/0.1/1/10/100 tests.

Nick Has an Exocet > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
02/22/2019 at 00:22

I’d love to but timing and weather reaaaaal ly won’t work.

Nick Has an Exocet > Nick Has an Exocet
02/22/2019 at 00:22

Maybe next time though. You MUST do a next time.

Nick Has an Exocet > NKato
02/22/2019 at 00:22

It really is. The fenders are a nightmare. They’re basically there so you can get inspected before they fall off.

blacktruck18 > Nick Has an Exocet
02/22/2019 at 00:24

Welp, probably time to give up on it, I’ll save you the trouble of putting it out for the garage and send a truck to come get.

I am extremely jealous. Congrats!!!

Nick Has an Exocet > blacktruck18
02/22/2019 at 00:34

Hahaha, thanks.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Nick Has an Exocet
02/22/2019 at 00:50

So close! This is exciting!

shop-teacher > Nick Has an Exocet
02/22/2019 at 07:14

D'oh!

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nick Has an Exocet
02/22/2019 at 12:02

God I want one

MM54 > glemon
02/22/2019 at 20:40

Often times a hose clamp on fresh hose will take a set in the first couple heat cycles and need tightened down again (this is part of the reason OEMs tend to use spring-type clamps, not the screw one)

Nick Has an Exocet > CaptDale - is secretly British
02/22/2019 at 21:09

I’ve been where you are. Then this happened.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nick Has an Exocet
02/23/2019 at 12:40

I think I’d rather a Caterham though

Nick Has an Exocet > CaptDale - is secretly British
02/23/2019 at 12:42

Understandable, but that’s 2-3x the price.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nick Has an Exocet
02/23/2019 at 15:18

Shhhh. That’s ok to me

Nick Has an Exocet > CaptDale - is secretly British
02/23/2019 at 15:22

Hahaha. Would you build it yourself?

CaptDale - is secretly British > Nick Has an Exocet
02/23/2019 at 15:26

Oh yeah! That would be the only way to do it

Nick Has an Exocet > CaptDale - is secretly British
02/23/2019 at 19:34

Awesome. That would be the jam. I’m undecided on my next project.