Yes, I've been rather quiet for a time. Health reasons. Niggling issues with the Spider. Both, now, largely improved.
The health stuff I'll skip apart from saying that I'm now 70. Just too boring.
The Spider issues, too, have been age related. She's now 40. (How do Spider years compare to dog years?) Lighting issues. Fix, patch, fail. Fix, patch fail.
Took the car into AVA Restoration where the ever helpful (and knowledgeable) first "A" (Alex) got things resolved by dismantling the rear right light unit and sand-blasting off the corrosion, then reassembling the unit and putting it back on the car. Perfecto!
Now that he "knows how" he says we can easily and quickly fix the left side if it, too, starts to act up.
Yippee!
Problem two was restarting the car when the engine was hot and she'd sat for a bit -- long enough to have an ice cream for instance. The jury is still out that this fix is complete -- its been mighty cool here in S.W. New Hampshire -- but so far so good.
Here the issue was the idle solenoid. If I understood Alex correctly there is an idle mixture that is supposed to feed the engine under certain circumstances. Simply put it wasn't working at all. Cold the engine used the "choke" (fuel enrichment circuit), but warm it was fuel starved. Replacing the solenoid and (likely) adjusting those settings means the hot engine should no longer be fuel starved.
Anyway, so far so good as I said. Beyond that "we'll see."
Had the water pump replaced too. Its bearing was completely shot. (Amazing that she wasn't leaking coolant.) Alex flushed out the radiator before replacing the coolant.
Replaced the fluid in the transmission. It was low, but fresh seems to improve the feel significantly.
That and a complete "tune up" -- points, plugs, settings, etc. -- and she's running like a charm. Indeed better than in years.
So, two 'oldsters' back on the road. And I'm lovin' it.
-don
