Rob,

I feel so sorry for you living in such an ugly part of the country... OMG that is BEAUTIFUL! Sierra Nevada's...YUMMY! Never got to climb out that way, but sure would have liked to! DANG IT!

Jeff,

Much bigger version of your Avatar PLEASE!!! That is YUMMY too, but for entirely different reasons!

 

I've also got an excellent heater in my garage, floor's coated, too. It's as nice as working in my kitchen out there when things get going.

I am itchin' to do more drivin than wrenchin this year though!!

 

I drove mine today, so neener neener neener.

I had some serious bird doodies from earlier in the week so I decided to go through the car wash this morning.

1) There were icicles hanging from the car wash apparatus.
2) Water froze on my hood after the wash.

I didn't notice how cold it was until I saw the hood icing.

 

Rob's picture is the San Bernardino Mountains here in normally-sunny SoCal. He's ~~50 miles south of where I am. My view is of the slightly less snowy but still whitecapped San Gabriel Mountains. The '85 is basking in the reflected glow off the snow-tipped peaks today. My snow will be gone in a day or two, at least thstuff on the front peaks. Rob's will be there for a month.

It should be 70+ by next week. Back to normal...

Looks like DFW is getting a pretty hard dusting right now. Any down there in Austin?

 

Darien: Even though I'm in California, I can relate. My car was in the shop for AC diagnostics and repair for the last four weeks. Today I finally got it back... I just want to go for a drive right now! Maybe on the weekend.

Hang in there! Summer will come...

 

dr bob - indeed the pic Rob posted is of the Eastern edge of the San Gabriel Range. Though slightly obscured, that is the base of Mt. San Antonio, common nickname - Mt. Baldy. Some tidbits about the San Gabriel / San Bernardino mountain range. It, to me, is much more impressive to look at than the Rocky Mountains from Denver. The vertical relief is considerably greater - sea level to 11,000ft. The foothills of the Rockies are already at 7,000ft before the begin rising appreciably. The San Gabriels look taller to me though their peaks are 3,000ft less in elevation. What is most interesting is that this range is the only one in all of north and south America that runs West to East or if you prefer, East to West. Large thrust fault, meaning land is sliding under the mountains pushing them up and why it is also a source of many earthquakes.

There will be a pop quiz on Friday regarding calculating the shaking index of sand/shale deposits. Bring your slide rules. Class dismissed

 

Glen,

I thought about those "winter projects" and I guess I need to look at my sunroof seal...it's just rough after living in the 360 days driving weather...and now waiting for good weather

I'll just have to wait to see how she responds to "sea level"

 

Hang on, you guys don't drive if there's SAND on the road?????

Now I understand why my cars don't look nearly as good as yours - I drive them whatever the weather, whatever the road conditions, for any reason at all - shopping, commuting, relaxing, or just 'cause.

I don't even want to take them apart to fix stuff in case it means that I won't get to drive them for a while - that's why I now have more than one.

 

Darien,
I'm still slowly working on my intake refresh. I've sanded and repainted the parts I F'd up and have been cleaning a bunch of stuff.

I'm at the point where thing will be going back together.

If your bored let me know!

 

"Wake up" on a nice sunny day in April is a tradition that I have really learned to enjoy over the last 19 years with my shark......

taking off the cover, carefully checking her over, hooking up the ground strap, charging the battery, checking fluids, energizing the ignition, hearing the fuel pump spool up, kicking her over and hearing that instant ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!!!!!! as she wakes from her long winter slumber.

This routine always brings a huge smile to my face and fond memories of my nearly 20 years of friendship with this beast!

Then we go stretch her legs! Talk about ****-eating-grins and top of the lungs "YAHOOOOOOOOO!"s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, driving all year long would be nice, but then she wouldn't get younger looking every year, as she does now!

 

Gretch - The only thing missing from the lovely sequence you described is the part where the Prince bends down and awakens his Princess with a kiss.

There is something about the tradition of living with seasons that I have not experienced in a long time. Don't get me wrong I have traveled extensively for business all across the U.S. and much of the world in my career so Iv've had much experience with the crappy parts of bad weather. Spending most of my life in CA there are only two seasons, the "green" season (winter and spring rains turn the scrub and grass green) and the "brown" season (summer and fall when annual drought kills to dormant that same scrub and grass). Real seasons, unless you live in the mountains or the very northern regions of the state, are a choice. We visit winter, for example.

 

You will get used to it Darien, and your car will get faster and faster every year because you will be bored and wrenching on it every winter. Then in a few years you will go visit your friends in Nevada in January wearing a T shirt and shorts. They will wearing sweaters and jackets and thinking you are nuts!

 

We already think he`s nuts......