Suddenly no compression in #1 & #2 cylinders

Keep it on topic, it will make it easier to find what you need.
maxm50
Posts: 107
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 12:12 am
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider
Location: Sebastopol, CA

Re: Suddenly no compression in #1 & #2 cylinders

Post by maxm50 »

Nice work Dan! Thanks for filling us in on the progress.

I've certainly had my fair share of moments of near-to-tears from some seemingly insurmountable automotive challenge. I have to remind myself that "I'm not saving babies" (a mantra I find useful in many areas of life). My most memorable such moment was when I was 16 I bought a worn-out Datsun 280z and began the process of getting it road-worthy. I spent 2 weeks straight of 8-12 hour days in the engine bay with no real idea what I was doing but slowly making progress. Meanwhile I watched my final summer of highschool slipping away from me. Then I pulled myself under the car and my thumb went straight through the frame rail and rust flakes went everywhere. That was my breaking point. I sold the car that 3rd week for a $700 loss (an absolutely crushing amount of money at the time). My dad consoled me with some of the best advice I've ever received: "Max, this is a problem that money can solve. Those are the kinds of problems you should hope to have in life. The problems that money can't solve are much harder." It was the best $700 I ever spent.
1981 Fiat Spider 2000
2011 BMW 335i M-Sport
1971 Honda CB450 Twin
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Suddenly no compression in #1 & #2 cylinders

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

maxm50 wrote:It was the best $700 I ever spent.
Thanks for sharing that story, Maxm! I'm trying to think of the best money I ever spent (on a car), and it was probably when something was beyond my ability and I took it to a professional, who did way better work than I ever could do. Live and learn, especially humility.

-Bryan
Post Reply