Yes, thanks to Gary Roys (who spent almost a full week working flat-out in my
garage to remove, reassemble and install my GT-350 motor), with help from all
the folks Larry mentioned, plus Carl Stein, both my Pantera and my GT-350
successfully attained the locomotive state on Saturday after over a year on
jackstands:
http://homepage.mac.com/martinmitchell/PhotoAlbum1.html Rick Moseley pointed out to me that for the first time EVER, every single one
of my cars is now running! This is quite a landmark accomplishment.
The event was a qualified success--I missed the last few hours of work. We
were attempting to find TDC on my wireless Pantera so we could install the
plug wires. I was inside the car, looking at the dampner, trying to get "0"
under the timing pointer while Gary was standing outside, pulling the trigger
on a remote starter.
It sounded something like this:
Ka-CHUNK. Ka-CHUNK.
"Looks like you went too far. Take it around again."
Ka-CHUNK. Ka-CHUNK.
"I can't really see the marks on the dampner, gotta wipe it off. Hold on a
sec...."
Ka-CHUNK.
"Ow!"
(Looking at my finger)
"Is that my bone? That looks like my bone...."
"Uh, yeah, I think that's your bone."
"Okay. You know what? I think I'm done working on cars today. Anybody
wanna drive me to the hospital?"
Turns out it was only the tendon I was seeing. After hours waiting in the
ER, I got the wound cleaned out (covered in engine oil and dirt), four
stitches and away I went. By the time I got home Gary had re-adjusted the
valves and tuned the motor to the point where it was perfect--better than at
any other time during my six years of ownership. I then took it out for a
drive--I had forgotten how much FUN that car is! Gary took a turn at the
wheel and he was all smiles too!
Again, thanks to everybody who took part in this endeavor, but an
extra-special thanks to Gary, who flew out from Detroit solely to work on
*my* car!
Pantera folk are something else, aren't they?
Mike (Nonsense! It's just a flesh wound! Come back here, you coward!)
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