Another New Home

A Typical night

 

 

With a little degreaser and a lot of elbow grease I realized that there is a firing order on the back of the intake

 

I know that it's been awhile and trust me, a lot has happened since I last wrote in. I got the motor out after about three weeks of disconnecting and taking apart various engine parts. The weird thing is that it actually wasn't that hard. I got the hood off and just went from there. I really didn't run into a lot of problems which was actually pretty surprising. All that I did to document the process was write a list and take pictures. The trans, drive line, and motor are now out of the car. The motor is out of the car on a stand and the trans is going to be rebuilt. I planned to replace the rear-end and the trans with upgraded parts but I decided not to. I am not really trying to smoke the tires. I was originally going to go build a screamer of a car but I don't really have the money or the interest. The truth is that I have to be more money conscious. I actually got the car back to my house and now it's sitting up on jacks in the garage. One of the many things that I have learned working on this car is that you need help. I rely on my mentors and my friends constantly. This car is really becoming a communal thing which is nice. People my age seem to like to work on it. I hope that people experience some of the joy that the car brings me. It is rather odd to see that car sitting in my garage looking like a shell. This is its first fall and winter inside and it is nice to know that it won't get any more rusty (at least in theory). However, admittedly, I don't know if it will sit outside at the body shop before they start fixing it. I also started to clean the engine and there is a surprising amount of orange paint left on the motor. I would have loved to see the car new but I digress. I have spent hours with the car so I think I can safely say that I know every inch of it now. I work at a car wash and the best job there is wiping cars. You get tips and get to stand outside and watch the world go by. Friday nights are the best for wiping because you can usually see old cars go by on their way to various shows. I remember a night when I was wiping a few weeks back. It was the first properly cold night of the year and it was nice to exchange the summer heat for the liquid cool winds of fall. I was leaning on one of the coolers where we keep towels in staring at the road. The cars rumbled by and the world ticked on. A car came by and I started to wipe it. I, all of a sudden, felt jealous of the driver. I wanted to go. I wanted to drive. I wanted to be in his car just driving away. I wanted to feel the wind in my hair and the beautiful feeling of the world devolving into the simple task of driving. As the winter approaches I feel the road calling me again. It whispers to me all of the time. Tantalizing me with its wicked uncertainty. It has been quit sometime since I have been on a proper road trip. Sometimes I sit by the Monte Carlo in my garage and dream of hitting the road again in it. That car has become a symbol of better times to come. No matter how tired I feel or how much I want to quit my job I can't. That slight whisper in my ear is enough for me to press on. Not many people my age know what it's like to hit the open road and see America the way that it is supposed to be seen. I flew to California a few weeks ago but I would have rather driven. I love watching the world roll by and seeing just how diverse this country really is. As I was flying over the U.S.  I couldn't help but look out and wonder just how many dismantled dreams are sitting up on jacks in peoples garages. I also wondered how many rusty dreams are still left to be discovered. When the Monte Carlo is done I think that a road trip is in order. A proper American trek. I think that I have deserved it and so too has the car. It has been a forgotten dream for too long.