She’s Home!
I spent today doing some more prep work. I picked up a hydraulic lift, some jack stands, and a really nice digital voltmeter at Harbor Freight. All three items happened to be on sale, so I was pleasantly surprised at the $70 bill. I picked up some shop rags and blue shop paper towels at WalMart, then headed back home.
First step was to use the new lift to jack up the front of the Ghia and remove the tow bar. The new jack works just fine. The tow bar doesn’t appear to have damaged the Ghia’s front suspension, although it jerked and rattled rather a lot while we were driving last night.
Then I started cleaning out the interior. There was an amazing amount of stuff in there, including an old textbook and a half-full bottle of Pepsi. It’s looking rather better now - nothing’s in there except car interior.
I spent a while just getting familiar with the new car. It’s not in terribly great shape. The under-the-back-seat area is pretty corroded - apparently the battery used to live there. Of course the engine bay is a mess, due to the fire. Lots of little things need to be done. The rubber window seals look like they need replacing, the window cranks need replaced, the rear view mirrors may have to go, the upholstery needs work, the roll bar will cave in the top of my skull at the first bump unless I take about a foot of length out of my calves and slide the seat forward. The steering wheel feels loose, and it’s placed exactly right to block all of the instruments. (A bigger steering wheel will reduce steering effort and give a better view of the dashboard. I’ll look into that.) The back of the dashboard is open to the under-hood area, so air and leaves will blow into the cabin from under the front of the car. The heater ducts have been blocked with carpet and the heater lever knobs are nowhere to be found. When you tilt it forward, the passenger seat doesn’t snap back by itself - you need to pull outward on the tilt lever because it needs some grease or a stronger spring or something. The headliner is coming loose around some of the edges, and it looks rather dingy. The paint needs quite a bit of work, especially on the trunk lid where the fire burned it all off, and it’s a custom job so it might be very expensive to do.
On the plus side, it’s got really comfortable seats, and it’s just large enough to not feel cramped. (Unless you’re in the back seat, where there’s no place to put your feet unless you take about a foot of length out of your thighs.) The visibility is good (except for the tiny and badly-placed mirrors). The carpet is nice and new. The brakes appear to be in good working order. The suspension feels really tight, and the tires are brand-spanking new. The clutch looks new, too.
I’m now faced with the prospect of doing some heavy cleaning and bodywork and painting, which I was hoping to avoid. I hate getting dirty. Ah well, new skills to add to the portfolio.
So, reality has begun to intrude. I’m a bit disappointed, but not daunted or angry or frightened. I’m still very pleased with the purchase.
To sum up, the honeymoon is over, but I think the relationship is going to last a long time.
Mon, 15 Sep 2003
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