I have been doing everything in and around the car for the past week. Everything but driving it. After many days of sun (a unique situation around here) rain is fast approaching - and our planned trip to Mark's with four or five other Panteras has now been postponed.
I was awakened early this morning, dreaming of lying on the shore with the waves lapping over me, only to find my dog had pulled off the covers and was licking my legs. Although I was wet it was still dry outside, so jumped in the shower, put on my Simpson shoes (the only ones pointy enough for my 13s to fit the pedals comfortably) and headed into the garage.
Have I mentioned how much I like my car? As my girls say every second word, OH MY GAWWWWD! I took that beast to the rev limiter (6,400) in every gear. How fast is 5500 RPM in 5th? Sheesh, I couldn't look to see. But wow. What a freakin' awesome car. I headed west then east then home. Winding through traffic, little finger flicking the direction signals and then stopping for fuel, of course.
I was trying to find the vibration that I feared was either a clutch disc, a flywheel or a half shaft out of balance. But as I ripped up the expressways and wound those revs up, the only vibration was my eyeballs bouncing around in their sockets. And the only view I had around me was from those stick-on convex mirrors on my side mirrors - otherwise useless at speed - and my rear view blocked by the air filter and wing
Anyhow, having gone through the car all week it was simply a poorly torqued wheel that must have caused the previous vibration. At 70 lbs of torque the vibe is gone.
I was laughing out loud. Honest. Like a crazy drunk, or stoned teenager, I must have looked insane, laughing hysterically all by myself, as I got off the expressway and blasted home - happy that nothing was wrong with the car, that I was (still) alive, that I didn't get any speeding tickets and that I got this run in before the rain.
As I sit here at Starbucks, on my 4th espresso, I can barely wipe the grin off my face. Have I mentioned what an awesome car this is?
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