Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all. Here is the picture we used for our Christmas photo card this year.

New home for my Saltwater Corals

I donated my Saltwater Corals to the MN Zoo a few weeks ago. Here is a video of MN Zoo Saltwater Coral Tank. Many of the corals in the video were part of my donation :) It makes me happy.

Something else that makes me happy is to walk into the garage and see my Hudson.

Up and running, and dreaming again.

Well, the Hornet is running again. The short story is that the spark plugs were fouled. We checked for spark, checked the carburetors were squirting gas, and then pulled a plug. It was filthy and smelled like gas, so I replaced them. I put Champion H12s in because that was what was in there. I was later told H10s were a better plug for the 308.

Now that I am no longer obsessed with the car not running I am dreaming wild dreams again. I am not just talking about a new interior, hopefully paid for by a tax return. I am talking about replacing the exhaust manifold with a dual exhaust header, chroming a few small parts, touching up the red detail paint, and other fun and unnecessary things. I am not sure why, but right after crisis come unrealistic dreams. Reality is that until a fat tax return in February, the car will sit. If I am lucky I will be able to scrape up enough money for some new spark plug wires and radiator hoses, but Christmas is consuming time and money at a rapid rate.

Unable to leave well enough alone.

I have done it now. I have taken a working car that I drove home 1200 miles and broken it.

I was in the process of cleaning the air filters, so I took off the assembly blew them out with air and washed the metal filters in gas a couple of times. While I waited for the filters to evaporate I decided to spray down the carburetors and linkages with carburetor cleaner. I sprayed down the outside and went to start the car, it would not start. I assume that I got some of the carb cleaner in the carburetors. I did not think it would be too much of a problem, the stuff evaporates extremely fast. I gave it a little time, tried again, tried, and tried some more. I added a little gas to the carbs and even tried starting fluid, nothing works. The engine turns freely, the battery has lot of power (I plugged it in), It cranks and cranks, but never catches. Here is the discussion on the Hudson Forum

Another thing learned, oil bath air filters are not all the same.

Today I removed and disassembled one of my two air filters on the Hornet. Much to my surprise I did not find an oil reservoir, just a loose metal mesh on the end with the main body as a solid piece. I had assumed that since it was called and "Oil Bath" air filter that it would be like my 54 Buick with a metal element bathed in an pool of oil. I posted my situation on the HET forum and I hope to find out more about what I am dealing with and what I need to do to keep it all in good working order, original as possible.

Bittersweet Day, the end of a hobby

It was a bittersweet day today. This afternoon Doug from the MN State Zoo came and packed up my coral reef. I have been e-mailing with Doug for a few weeks, discussing donating all of my livestock to the zoo. I have had saltwater for almost 20 years, and now I have none. I am a little sad, but it makes me glad to know that they will be looked after in a professional way and not at the whim of a hobbyist. Family, friends, and fellow hobbyist have been asking me how I can give it up after so long and I tend to have trouble with a concise answer. One of the primary reasons is that saltwater does not hold my heart like it use to and it was evident in my maintenance of my system even with the automation I had built in. Many things contributed to my declining interest including the morality of saltwater tanks, the community, cost, and other assorted thoughts and feelings. In the end it was inertia that kept me going, and Doug helped me break out of that.

The picture is of Doug and I after removing all rock, corals, clams, crabs, snails, etc. from the tank. All I have left is water, sand, and the equipment to sell. The donation may get me a few dollars on my tax return but is when I sell off the equipment that I hope to have a enough money to do a little bit of work on the Hudson.

Last weekend

Last weekend was beautiful and I finally got a chance to give the Hudson the wash, polish, and wax it deserved. All that is left is a little toothbrush work where the wax accumulated in grooves. I am pleased :o)