...that bust your *****.

Finally got through shoveling snow and installing kitchen counters, so I settled down to work on the CRX last night. Just wanted to put the front bumper back on, check the layout for the fire system, and pull the rear trailing arms in prep for fitting bushings. Simple stuff.

The bumper bolts to the frame behind the turn signals, so after bolting it on I went to replace the right turn signal. The screw that holds it in fastens to a little clip. No clip. Not in the bumper. Not on the floor where I had set the bumper. Not under the car. Not in the vacuum I used to clean the floor. After about 30 minutes of looking thru various coffee cans of nuts & bolts, finally found something that would do, and got the light back on.

Next was checking out the fire system. I got a setup with 2 pull cables because the bottle will be out of my reach. Let's see. Yep. Two cables in the box. Here's the ferrule where one cable attaches to the discharge head. Hmm. There should be two of those. Time to call the vendor. "That's correct, Jerry. There should be two. But they're packaged by the manufacturer, and we don't have the parts here. We'll call them and find out what to do. How long? Can't say."

Well, at least I can get the trailing arms off. Brake drum off. Shoes & cylinder off, let's pull the hub. Darn. My biggest socket won't fit that bolt. Where's the dial caliper? 32mm? Looks like a trip to Sears tomorrow. I need a drink.

...and this was a <U>good </U> day . My goal now is to get to CMP with the safety gear sorted, brakes working well, and trustworthy suspension. No header or race exhaust, no trick suspension bushings, A/C still in place(and working!!). At least I should be able to get a logbook and do my license observation.

I know, I know. I should'a bought a finished race car. But when I look at the roll cage and the other things that are done exactly the way I want them, I feel pretty good about the time & $$ I'm spending. Now if I can just keep from losing that next little thing...

 

Plenty of frustrations and setbacks are in store when you do it yourself. For sure, buying a prepped car is cheaper, but the satisfaction of doing it yourself is huge. The trials and tribulations now will make you intimately familiar with your car making future mods and repairs a breeze. Keep diggin'!


[Modified by Track rat, 6:34 PM 3/4/2003]

 

I like it when I give up & go buy the expensive oem part. Of course, right after I install the new one, I find my 'spare'.