Sit Rep: The Free Ferd shall ride at dawn! (Or thereabouts)

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/05/2020 at 23:10 • Filed to: FreeFerd

I was pretty bummed last week when the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . In talking afterwards with SpecsGTP, who is letting me store the truck at his place (and who I consider half-owner of the truck), he was defiant. He more or less said to hell with the SCCA, we’ll save our money and our entry fees, and have fun without them. He had a good point, but while I wasn’t going to make any decisions while I was upset, I wasn’t sure I wanted to register and insure a vehicle we would only use a couple times a year. Maybe it would be best to sell and trade the beast afterall.

Not to be outdone, my man went ahead and paid for the insurance himself, and reminded me that the plates on the truck were good until September 1st this year. We had plenty of time to have some fun and then make a decision.

We took a ride in the truck last week to look at a scooter for him, which he didn’t buy for a few good reasons. During that trip we christened the Free Ferd the Thingamajig. The Thingamajig wormed its way into our hearts some that day.

Tall-Bill (same guy) then took the Thingamajig up to Michigan for the weekend. While up there, a rusty brake line blew in the rear. He patched it together and made it home with a soft brake pedal, but the brakes were going to need to be bled. Odds that the bleeder screws were going to crack loose for us? Pretty much nil.

We dea lt with that yesterday. By we, I mean he did the real work, and I handed him tools and pushed the brake pedal when it was time . No joy with the bleeder screws. Thankfully the rear drums came off surprisingly easily, and then it was off to Napa for a pair of wheel cylinders, and another brake line for the other side of the rear end.

Those installed, it was time to bleed the brakes. At this point the right side wheel cylinder ... brand new part mind you ... completely shit itself out both end s. Napa of course didn’t have another one, so I headed to Advanced Auto where they sold me a Car Quest branded part. Thankfully that one worked.

With the brakes bled, we took it for a test drive, and all was well. We decided not to bleed the fronts, because we figured the less we took apart the better. The pedal felt good, and the brakes worked great .

I brought the Thingamajig home last night to prep it for this weekend’s trip. I’ll tell you about that in a bit. Anyways, another problem with this truck, is the driver’s side power window motor only works when it wants to work. Thankfully, the original owner had purchased a replacement motor and switch. I installed those today, and now we can put the windows up and down willy-nilly. It’s so fawn-say!

One funny thing, the new window switch works backwards. You press up to put the windows down, and down to put the windows up. The switches can only be put together one way. And it’s both windows that work backwards on that switch. The passenger side window works normally when you use the passenger side switch . W hat can I say? The Thingmajig has personality!

It also leaks a lot of oil, and power steering fluid. And it burns some oil. And possibly some coolant. And it has a bit of a rod-knock. So, I’m bringing all of the fluids. All. Of. Them.

Now, for the trip. We were going to go back-roads bombing with Birddog and his ‘78 C10 around his place in Iowa . Then an awesome John Player’s Special Yamaha Riva 180 came up for sale up north of the Cheddar-Curtain. Both Birddog and SpecsGTP are in need of a scooter for IdiotFest this year, so plans were changed.

Specs has some real-life shit to deal with this weekend, so unfortunately he’ll be sitting this one out . My buddy Fry-guy (or whatever he changed his name here to .. . cg-guy?) is riding shotgun with me in the Thingamajig. We’re rolling out O-dark-thirty tomorrow morning, and meeting Birddog in Monroe, WI. From there we’re going to take as many back roads as we can and wind our way up towards Sturgeon Bay to meet the seller, another Opponaut, Pat Pfe iffer.

Birddog has first dibs on the scooter, because he’ll actually be there. If he passes, I’ll be buying it on behalf of The Ass in the Hat (aka Tall-Bill, aka SpecsGTP). Then we’ll wind our way south on Sunday.

Fun will be had. Dinosaur juice will be consumed. Shenanigans will ensue. I can’t wait!

DISCUSSION (27)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > shop-teacher
06/05/2020 at 23:16

This sounds like fun, I demand updates as things go on!

SpecsGTP > shop-teacher
06/05/2020 at 23:22

Real-life stuff sucks...but The Ass in the Hat is pleased with the Thingamajigger’s pedal.

Also, I ain't going back to that mill...

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/05/2020 at 23:24

I second this motion. Shop-Teacher is now out voted and has no choice.

PartyPooper2012 > shop-teacher
06/05/2020 at 23:27

Well, at least you know the road you use to get here won’t be rusty on the way back

Birddog > shop-teacher
06/05/2020 at 23:27

This is going to be a heck of a weekend for sure. Both trucks are pretty much in a similar state of decomposition.

Who hits the tow truck first?

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher
06/05/2020 at 23:28

Have fun! Give us updates!

shop-teacher > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/05/2020 at 23:39

I will definitely write it up afterwards. No promises as to updates along the way. I have a lot of driving to do this weekend!

shop-teacher > Birddog
06/05/2020 at 23:40

I think your engine is in a better state, but it's anyone's game! I got my AAA card handy!

shop-teacher > SpecsGTP
06/05/2020 at 23:41

But you will have the chicken sandwich.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW
06/05/2020 at 23:41

Will do!

shop-teacher > PartyPooper2012
06/05/2020 at 23:42

Fun fact: I parked it on the street because my wife was tired of it leaving puddles in the driveway.

shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/05/2020 at 23:43

I can't drive and kinja!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher
06/05/2020 at 23:48

No matter. We can arrange to make all DWK (driving while Kinja) charges di sappear. You have been out voted.

smobgirl > shop-teacher
06/05/2020 at 23:51

I had that bin in my Caddy in high school. Mostly transmission fluid for me though

Birddog > shop-teacher
06/06/2020 at 00:08

That bad??

L ike the C10 marking it’s territory in LaCrosse?

shop-teacher > smobgirl
06/06/2020 at 00:08

That's actually the one fluid this one doesn't leak!

shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/06/2020 at 00:09

I'll do my best!

shop-teacher > Birddog
06/06/2020 at 00:09

Neck and neck.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher
06/06/2020 at 00:11

But don't DWK. You can DKW though (obscure German make that many would appreciate here).

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > shop-teacher
06/06/2020 at 00:39

Fun Police? What's that about? Rejected for rallying?

shop-teacher > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
06/06/2020 at 00:53

Yeah, the SCCA Milwaukee region's safety steward told me that our trucks are not welcome.

shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/06/2020 at 00:54

Lol! I won't actually DWK.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > shop-teacher
06/06/2020 at 01:25

What's the rationale?

shop-teacher > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
06/06/2020 at 06:06

The rationale is they let a Hummer H2 on course during their last event, and the driver almost rolled it.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > shop-teacher
06/06/2020 at 07:59

Simple, just put up your phone as a camera and document the carnage? :P

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > shop-teacher
06/06/2020 at 09:29

If they banned every vehicle type or the driver was dumb, they only have bicycles.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > shop-teacher
06/06/2020 at 09:32

Yet. Never forget yet...