911 Sold Like the Latest $60 T-Shirt

I've always felt that you don't just drive a vintage car, but you also, in a sense, wear it. You may not think like this, but people looking at you do judge you by your vintage car just as surely as they do about your cheap sneakers or pleated pants.

So, it was not that much of a surprise when the fashion site Gilt.com announced this sale. They choose a reputable partner in Dawydiak to get a car. It should be interesting to see if this car sells. The way Gilt works is they offer top notch fashion at a steep discount. Think Paul Smith shoes for $100 instead of $450.

Has this meant vintage 911s have jumped into the mainstream?

First Day NASA Instructing

That's me in the passenger seat of a 2000 Corvette instructing at High Plains Raceway this past Sunday. NASA has been good to me, so I wanted to help out and instructing offered a great opportunity.

We had a two day class. Including one day of on track exercises. And let me say, our teachers were nuts. But, I guess it does happen when a student goes into crisis mode and just stops on track!

Then Sunday was super rewarding helping my student progress as a driver. Getting much smoother and beginning to understand how to find the proper line around a turn. And yes, the Corvette has a touch more straight line speed than my SPEC car.

Photo is thanks to Rupert who has lots of awesome track shots here.

The Racing Season Begins Now. The Prep at Least.

I just dragged my 944 out of storage this morning and brought it back to my house to prep for the season. On the list are new front pads and rotors. New tires. New alignment. And lots of other small things, like making it safer.

One small, $30, step was installing a fire-proof shift boot in place of my fancy red leather one. The leather looked cool, but would not have protected the cabin from flames. And the shifter opening is often a place fire creeps in. Should give me a few more seconds to get out of the car in an emergency.

Thinking I might replace the zipties with hose clamps for even more protection.

Datsun Fairlady with Appropriate Porthole Top

Portland keeps showing me her best cars, even though there has been lots of rain recently.

For instance this Datsun Fairlady parked on the street sporting a 'porthole' hardtop. Boats being the original porthole sporting means of transportation, in rainy Portland a car with porthole top struck me as funny. Or ironic. Or neither.

Choke This MK2

You know a part is being especially recalcitrant if you try to hard-wire bypass it and it still acts up. And that is exactly the case I am in with my MK2. The ASC, or automatic starting choke, had been operating not just at starting time. But at all times. It would not switch off causing an especially rich running condition.

This could be one of two things. A faulty temp switch, which give funky readings at the best of times. Or a faulty solenoid. Mine is the latter. It has a short inside of it so that even with the ground wire removed, it still stayed powered. Ugh.

So, this very cheap modification could not be done without also putting in a new $101.00 solenoid.

Sure, this is not original but it is well known that these chokes stick and that is no good. Mine was sticking to the point of making my oil smell of gas. Not good for bearings and rings. I drive this car a lot, so anything that is easily reversible but helps with drive-ability and reliability it is a good thing.