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Did I mention I race rally cars? Red Rocket Rally

Thursday, July 13, 2006
Clean Dog!
by brian @ 12:36:03 - [perma-link]
I gave Flash a bath today. Now he's minty fresh.
Good boy, Flash!

Thursday, July 6, 2006
First Vanagon Trip
by brian @ 20:38:59 - [perma-link]
Josh, Nikki, the kids and I took the dogs to the coast today. It was a good hour and 45 minutes on the road. Cruise control (oh yeah... I found an Audiovox cruise control kit at Schuck's this week and installed it the other night) rocked. The road noise was way less than in the Defender. It does nicely.
The dogs were fun on the beach. Dixon went crazy in the water. Flash was a little scared at first buthe was running around in the water after a bit. Brodie was somewhere in between.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Back in Business
by brian @ 23:08:41 - [perma-link]
I picked up my rebuilt transmission today, and Josh helped me install
it this evening. All the gears work and it shifts really nicely, and
stays in 4th all by itself!
The Vanagon runs and practically all the parts on the drivetrain are
new, so it should be good for another 200,000 miles. Tomorrow I'll
start working on the interior. I have a stereo, and amp, some
speakers and a computer to install in it somewhere. I'll get some
washable seat covers, rather than try to reupholster. The carpet is
probably gonna go. The pad underneath is kind of gross and a little
damp. I'll get the inside of the body sprayed with Line-X or
herculiner or one of those, then put down a rubber mat, so its
washable and durable.
I have about 10 weeks to get it ready for Burningman.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Got my roomba
by brian @ 12:35:12 - [perma-link]
This makes 4. And one scooba. And a dog. And 5 cats.
And 1 human. I'm seriously outnumbered.

Sunday, June 11, 2006
Flash with Dixon's Bone
by brian @ 11:23:01 - [perma-link]

Flash at 8 weeks and a day stares down the rawhide bone Dixon got on
his first birthday.

Thursday, June 8, 2006
More Vanagon Work
by brian @ 23:04:32 - [perma-link]
Yesterday I pulled the transmission out of the Vanagon. Today I dropped it off to get rebuilt. The manual shows way too many special tools needed, plus I already have experience destroying a ring and pinion; I don't need to do that again. I'd rather spend my time doing interior work (lights, radio, computer, etc) and getting it ready for Burning Man.

This evening I fixed a couple of things in the driver's door. The window was sticking halfway down. Looks like it got stuck at some point and someone forced it, and bent the mechanism, easily fixed by bending it back into place. It is still rubbing on the inside of the door where the felt padding has worn away. I'll fix that tomorrow.

Oh yeah. The electric mirrors work now, too. It was a fuse. I checked all 22 of them, then looked up the only one that was blown, #12 Outside electric mirrors. Woohoo!

Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Vanagon: Lots of minor fixes today
by brian @ 00:37:16 - [perma-link]
I drove the Vanagon home yesterday and parked it in the garage.
Today I fixed a few more things. I adjusted the shift linkage, so R,
1, 2 and 3 are pretty decent. 4th slips out if you don't hold the
stick back, and the gears kind of stick under load. And 3rd is easy
to find, but doesn't quite feel right. At the very least it needs
new gear oil, but we'll probably have to open it up soon and fix
something inside.
I aired up the tires to 35, but then Josh found the plate inside the
door and they should be at 38 and 45 (i think... easy enough to check
before I fill them tomorrow). Connie and I checked the speedometer
against a GPS. It reads about 25% fast, which most likely means that
the transmission isn't the one that came on the car.
I wanted to check the brake fluid earlier today, but couldn't find
it. We looked through Josh's owners manual and discovered that the
brake fluid reservoir is inside the dashboard. I poured a fair
amount of brake fluid in and drove it around. The brakes are
stronger now, but still need to be checked out. The brake light
works now, too (it was stuck on before i refilled the fluid ;).
The side door wasn't opening smoothly, or quietly, so I sprayed it
with some silicon lube. I also found a very loose screw that was
hanging on something when the door first cracks open. Now I can open
it with one hand, instead of having to pop it, then pull the back of
the door out, then slide it.
And of course, it now has a dog crate on the back seat. I had been
driving with Flash's crate on the floor, but now he'll be able to
look out the windows.
This thing is so much fun. I'll take some more pictures tomorrow.

Sunday, June 4, 2006
Kick Ass
by brian @ 12:16:18 - [perma-link]
Unimog paramedic truck. This is by far the coolest Unimog i've seen.

Saturday, June 3, 2006
Done!
by brian @ 22:11:12 - [perma-link]
The motor is in, runsand the van is back on the ground. Woot!

Friday, June 2, 2006
Lowrider
by brian @ 21:35:09 - [perma-link]
Saw this truck yesterday afternoon. Can't get much lower than that.

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Thursday, July 13, 2006
	Clean Dog! by brian @ 12:36:03 - [perma-link] I gave Flash a bath today. Now he's minty fresh. Good boy, Flash!

Thursday, July 6, 2006
	First Vanagon Trip by brian @ 20:38:59 - [perma-link] Josh, Nikki, the kids and I took the dogs to the coast today. It was a good hour and 45 minutes on the road. Cruise control (oh yeah... I found an Audiovox cruise control kit at Schuck's this week and installed it the other night) rocked. The road noise was way less than in the Defender. It does nicely. The dogs were fun on the beach. Dixon went crazy in the water. Flash was a little scared at first buthe was running around in the water after a bit. Brodie was somewhere in between.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006
	Back in Business by brian @ 23:08:41 - [perma-link] I picked up my rebuilt transmission today, and Josh helped me install it this evening. All the gears work and it shifts really nicely, and stays in 4th all by itself! The Vanagon runs and practically all the parts on the drivetrain are new, so it should be good for another 200,000 miles. Tomorrow I'll start working on the interior. I have a stereo, and amp, some speakers and a computer to install in it somewhere. I'll get some washable seat covers, rather than try to reupholster. The carpet is probably gonna go. The pad underneath is kind of gross and a little damp. I'll get the inside of the body sprayed with Line-X or herculiner or one of those, then put down a rubber mat, so its washable and durable. I have about 10 weeks to get it ready for Burningman.


Tuesday, June 13, 2006
	Got my roomba by brian @ 12:35:12 - [perma-link] This makes 4. And one scooba. And a dog. And 5 cats. And 1 human. I'm seriously outnumbered.

Sunday, June 11, 2006
	Flash with Dixon's Bone by brian @ 11:23:01 - [perma-link] Flash at 8 weeks and a day stares down the rawhide bone Dixon got on his first birthday.

Thursday, June 8, 2006
	More Vanagon Work by brian @ 23:04:32 - [perma-link] Yesterday I pulled the transmission out of the Vanagon. Today I dropped it off to get rebuilt. The manual shows way too many special tools needed, plus I already have experience destroying a ring and pinion; I don't need to do that again. I'd rather spend my time doing interior work (lights, radio, computer, etc) and getting it ready for Burning Man. This evening I fixed a couple of things in the driver's door. The window was sticking halfway down. Looks like it got stuck at some point and someone forced it, and bent the mechanism, easily fixed by bending it back into place. It is still rubbing on the inside of the door where the felt padding has worn away. I'll fix that tomorrow. Oh yeah. The electric mirrors work now, too. It was a fuse. I checked all 22 of them, then looked up the only one that was blown, #12 Outside electric mirrors. Woohoo!


Tuesday, June 6, 2006
	Vanagon: Lots of minor fixes today by brian @ 00:37:16 - [perma-link] I drove the Vanagon home yesterday and parked it in the garage. Today I fixed a few more things. I adjusted the shift linkage, so R, 1, 2 and 3 are pretty decent. 4th slips out if you don't hold the stick back, and the gears kind of stick under load. And 3rd is easy to find, but doesn't quite feel right. At the very least it needs new gear oil, but we'll probably have to open it up soon and fix something inside. I aired up the tires to 35, but then Josh found the plate inside the door and they should be at 38 and 45 (i think... easy enough to check before I fill them tomorrow). Connie and I checked the speedometer against a GPS. It reads about 25% fast, which most likely means that the transmission isn't the one that came on the car. I wanted to check the brake fluid earlier today, but couldn't find it. We looked through Josh's owners manual and discovered that the brake fluid reservoir is inside the dashboard. I poured a fair amount of brake fluid in and drove it around. The brakes are stronger now, but still need to be checked out. The brake light works now, too (it was stuck on before i refilled the fluid ;). The side door wasn't opening smoothly, or quietly, so I sprayed it with some silicon lube. I also found a very loose screw that was hanging on something when the door first cracks open. Now I can open it with one hand, instead of having to pop it, then pull the back of the door out, then slide it. And of course, it now has a dog crate on the back seat. I had been driving with Flash's crate on the floor, but now he'll be able to look out the windows. This thing is so much fun. I'll take some more pictures tomorrow.

Sunday, June 4, 2006
	Kick Ass by brian @ 12:16:18 - [perma-link] Unimog paramedic truck. This is by far the coolest Unimog i've seen.

Saturday, June 3, 2006
	Done! by brian @ 22:11:12 - [perma-link] The motor is in, runsand the van is back on the ground. Woot!

Friday, June 2, 2006
	Lowrider by brian @ 21:35:09 - [perma-link] Saw this truck yesterday afternoon. Can't get much lower than that.
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