Weekend Round-Up!

"Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole" (Dukie) 08/19/2013 at 09:19 • Filed to: Weekend Roundup, Planelopnik

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Herein lies the post where you tell us about your weekend!

Friday - Last Tuesday on my way in to work, Grimace got a really bad vibration. I thought it was the carrier bearing on the driveshaft, so with my 1979 Supra parts car, I grabbed the forward driveshaft and planned on just swapping them out to get Grimace home. Just before lunch, I was informed of an issue here at work and Grimace took a back seat. When I had 5 minutes, I ran out to put Grimace on jack stands so I could do the swap, to which I discovered it wasn't the carrier bearing at all. Turns out, 2 of the 4 bolts that connect the driveshaft to the differential had fallen out, and the other 2 were loose. 4 new bolts (with new washers and nuts) and I was good to go. Except, I had to stay at work until 11:30pm (17 hour shift, guh).

Saturday - Saturday was a family day. We hung out on the first weekend I've had off in 8 weeks thanks to me doing the Summer Quarter of school.

Sunday - My younger brother works for Boeing and Sunday was "Family Day" at the Everett Assembly plant (aka the largest building in the wuurrrlllldd!!). No SR20, as they had a very strict policy. But, I saw 2 747-8 Freighters in the final stages of being built, 2 767 Freighters in a similar stage, 1 787 (not including the BA display in front of the plant and the dozens finished and awaiting delivery at Paine Field), 1 777 ready for roll out, a 787 in the paint barn across the street (they have a bridge they tow the aircraft over). It was a ton of walking, but it was really awesome to do. As we were leaving, one of the 2 Dreamlifters that were there was starting up. So we booked it to the "Future of Flight" (also across the street) and parked in time to watch it taxi and take off (I have a video, but the quality sucks and I haven't uploaded it to YouTube just yet). Anyway, I noticed this little fella in the parking lot as well:

So other than the chaffing from all that walking, the sore feet and ankles, and slight sunburn, I had a pretty good weekend. What about you, Opponauts!?

fhrblig > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 09:34

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I went for a drive in the mountains, where the temperature was much more tolerable than at home. I drove from Morrison to Evergreen, then up to Conifer, and back via Pleasant Park Road. My accompaniment was Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" and a big cigar. A good time was had.

Takuro Spirit > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 09:37

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Saturday morning packed some more stuff for the move next weekend, played some State of Decay, went out to dinner Saturday night with the family and friends, Sunday did some laundry and dishes, went out to a late lunch with the family, picked up a free dresser which didn't quite fit in the CX9, so my daughters had to share a seat in the back, but it was only up the road a little bit, then went to see Planes (meh).

Can you tell my wife worked both mornings?

Sparf > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 09:37

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I've had a cold with a dash of fever and a sprinkle of intermittent joint pains all weekend, so nothing of note has really happened. I'm using this as an opportunity to procrastinate ever more than usual and see what happens to my face when I don't shave for more than one or two days.

J. Walter Weatherman > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 10:08

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Basically my entire weekend was spent installing a tile backsplash in my kitchen. FML. Never again.

I also bought a cyclocross bike because I need to get my lazy ass back into shape and nothing kicks your ass quite like cyclocross does.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 10:15

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Beach weekend in Ocean City, NJ. The drive there was traffic and the drive back was traffic. Garden State Parkway is never fun, so next time I need to find some local roads to get there, even if it takes longer!

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 10:37

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Thursday/Friday: Repaired a leaky sun roof in my Discovery and decided to paint the headliner with a rubberized coating as the fabric was starting to droop.

Saturday: I took my dad to a Land Rover swap meet so we could trade our shit we're never going to use for somebody else's shit we're never going to use:

Paul, Man of Mustangs > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 11:08

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I saw this 787 on Saturday at Paine Field. There was a fly day for Luftwaffe fighters on Saturday as well.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > Paul, Man of Mustangs 08/19/2013 at 11:12

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Damnit! I keep forgetting about the Free Fly Days!

Paul, Man of Mustangs > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 11:13

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Next one is September 7th, I think?

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > Paul, Man of Mustangs 08/19/2013 at 11:14

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This might make for a good pre-cursor to the Flash Mob Cruise on the 8th.

DocWalt > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 13:58

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I went for a fun cruise with some friends on Saturday:

On Sunday I tore down my second engine to prep it for a cleanup and hone:

Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 14:11

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Here's what I did this weekend.
...
Any questions?

FrankenBlaster > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 15:01

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Friday I got home and left to drive to Bloomington, IN to see my lady. The drive down was awesome! It's normally a pretty good drive, but I got behind a guy on a bike who was just givin it the beans, so I chased in pursuit. He, of course, was faster than me, but not by as much as I would have expected.

Then, I turned onto the other highway I use to get there and a Jag XK started following me through traffic. Eventually he roared past me but slowed up and kept a bit higher pace than I was at, but left room for me in each lane change we did. I followed him all the way on the highway till the university that was my destination, looked over at him and he had a huge grin on his face and yelled "Fun drive!" before he took off at his green light.

My lady just moved into a new house with 2 of her friends who are really cool, we all went out Friday. Saturday we went to Upland Brewery, they have some really good food. Then Sunday I went home and just did nothing.

wkiernan > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 08/19/2013 at 17:42

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My weekend sucked. I live in Florida, where our ghastly weather makes the state wholly unfit for human habitation for at least three months out of the year; last weekend was the exact middle of those three Hell months. Plus mosquitoes! Lots and lots and lots and lots of mosquitoes.

On Saturday I dug out and graded an area to lay down some paving blocks, so I'd have a surface on which to work on my car without having to lie on my back in the grass and dirt. The last three times I repaired one of my cars I spent considerably more time groping around trying to find the bolt or nut or wrench I had dropped in the dirt than I did actually working on the car. So I dug and raked and scraped and leveled and finally laid down about one and a quarter tons of paving blocks. It was way too hot, and it rained on and off, so I was exhausted, soaking wet and filthy by the time I got the blocks in place.

Then on Sunday I drove my '04 Miata up on my new car patio and started changing out the radiator, which had sprung a leak a couple weeks ago, as well as replacing the hoses and the thermostat. Again it was over 90° F. with 95% humidity, and did I mention mosquitoes? thousands of those bastards... It should have been a fairly easy job, even for a semicompetent mechanic like me, except whoever worked on it before me had attached the plastic splash plate underneath all haphazardly with a variety of bolts and nuts, half of which were either cross-threaded, or rusted solid, or both, so it took a solid hour before I finally got the damned thing off (when I've worked on my other Miata it usually took about 5 minutes). Then I got to the radiator replacement, which is one of the easiest jobs you can do in a Miata's engine compartment. Except, of course, it started raining in the middle of it. So there I am, rain pounding down, trying to put it all back together. I was operating by feel by this point, as I can't see close-up without glasses, but my glasses were fogged up so bad they were useless. Finally after lying under the car bolting on that splash plate (with shiny new stainless steel bolts and washers! next time it'll only take five minutes to get it off) I was done. Except for the fact that by this time there was an inch of muddy water in the bottom of my tool chest, so after I dragged all that stuff indoors I got to spend another hour drying off and oiling all my hand tools. Another 1-1/2 hour job accomplished! in about 5-1/2 hours of utter physical misery.

On the plus side, I Got  Dun all right, and it doesn't seem to leak, so my newer Miata's back on the road. And since about an inch of rain came down mid-repair, I couldn't have finished the job at all yesterday if I hadn't built that little concrete patio first.

wkiernan > FrankenBlaster 08/19/2013 at 18:09

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What were you driving? I'd guess it's something reasonably quick, to keep up with a street bike and an XK, but I'm really hoping you'll tell me something like "'81 Corolla!", for many a 911 owner always drives slow but Lead Foot Conquers All.

FrankenBlaster > wkiernan 08/19/2013 at 19:14

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Haha, not an 81 Corolla, but my beloved 2012 mazdaspeed3. I've modded it a bit though, here's the list if you're curious.

Corksport catback exhaust

Sure race pipe (removes 1 of the cats, there's still another in my downpipe)

Cobb short ram intake

Cobb Accessport stage 2 tune

Forge bypass valve

Autotech high pressure fuel pump internals

JBR rear motor mount 80a durometer

I think that completes the list