Stage13 : Winter 2005

Molly had a real bad problem starting but a new carburator cured that. I also got an exhaust leak at the heat riser fixed and now every single factory vacuum line is attached and working, from the choke to the heat riser to the hose going up to the air cleaner! I've never had that in my life!

I hooked up my map light and did it so I don't need the key on for it to work.

A clunking sound also appeared and I realized that the upper control arm bushings on both sides were worn, I decided I would go ahead and do the ball joints too. I pulled the Aframes off and took them up with the parts to be pressed in, but I soon found out that these were the original factory bushings and the factory put a spot weld on the shaft so the nut wouldn't back off! This is great, except now I couldn't just buy the $5 bushings, I had to buy the $60 shaft kit. I didn't have an extra $120 lying around, so I used a spare set of A-frames I had, and it didn't have any spot welds so they could just replace the bushings, This was one of those moments where I wanted to point and say "See, I DO use that junk sitting on the shelf!". Of course I had to paint them them too.