More on Steering
August 2016

It's August! Again. Is the car going to be ready for Monterey this year? I can say the answer is... YES! Although I haven't been good about keeping this site updated (sorry), I have been working very hard on the car. It's amazing how all the little things take so long. But I want EVERYTHING to work properly. There are still a few things to work out, but I've sorted out almost all of the electrical system. (I think I've memorized the wiring diagram at this point.) For the first time since I've had the car, the fog lights and high beams work. And the tiny lightbulb inside the Hazard Flasher switch works. There are a few things I can probably complete this weekend, and that's really my last weekend to work on the car, becuse the following weekend I will (attempt to) drive it 500 miles to Monterey!

New Steering Dampener

You'll notice on the previous page there was a dampener attached to the dirty steering column when I pulled it out of the car. When it went back in... no dampener. I was able to buy a new one from GT Car Parts in Arizona. They have been selling vintage Lamborghini parts (and Ferrari parts) for decades. The new one has a shield around the shaft, which will protect it from all the dirt that the tires kick up. This is a great addition and should protect the seal longer. The old one was leaking badly.

Alignment

A while back I splurged on a new set of Michelin XWX tires. These are not cheap, and I want them to last, so today - before putting over 1,000 miles on the car - I took it in for a four-wheel alignment. After a couple of tire shops said they couldn't work on it, I was referred to East County Alignment. I gave them the factory specs and they spent about two hours aligning the front and back. The car tracks a bit better now (it turns out it wasn't that far off), and I'm comfortable the tires will wear at their best.

On Thursday it goes in to have the A/C fixed up. I rebuilt the compressor and have a new dryer, and all the lines will be pressure tested, cleaned out, and charged! Here is another thing that hasn't worked as long as I've had the car. It's so exciting to get everything working! And A/C will be a necessity on the drive up the central California valley to Monterey!