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Sometimes I wonder...

SaxMan

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....if there's something a little bit more than just a bunch of nuts and bolts that make up a Spridget. Today's story:

I came home from work early, as our babysitter wasn't available and Mrs. SaxMan had classes tonight. It was nearly 80 degrees today...there was no way that Jessica and I weren't going to take Baby Blue out for a spin. We took a relatively quick ride over to Black Hill Regional Park, where the Sprite was ogled by a bunch of younger kids. On the way home, I had a car tailgating me for no apparent reason (maybe curiosity). I've never liked being tailgated, and those feelings got even worse after I had been hit from behind several years ago. As we went down into a downhill, followed by an uphill curve, I was coasting followed by a 4 - 3 downshift. I'll be darned if Baby Blue didn't spit out a cloud of blue smoke so noticeable that the startled driver backed off -- fast!

I kept trying to replicate the conditions that caused the cloud, but it never happened again. I know my piston rings are wearing out and I probably have a valve or two out of adjustment, but I think Baby Blue herself wasn't very happy that someone was getting into her personal space.

I'm also guessing that a carb mixture set on a 50 degree day may need to be adjusted when the temps hit 80 degrees or more? Based on the exhaust note, I think the car is running lean at the warmer temps.
 
I just write stuff like that off to Good Karma. ;)

(I drove my 948 Midget to work yesterday for the first time in 2015....also got ogled by students and a few "thumbs up" on the way)
 
LBC's certainly have unique personalities. Sometimes I think they are haunted...
My very first car, a 1958 MGA, purchased 45 years ago certainly was. Back then
the state of FLA had an annual safety inspection for things like brakes (always
a challenge), loose suspension, lights, etc. The *only* time the horn on that
car ever worked was during these inspections. It became a joke with any passengers
that were brave enought to ride along. They'd always push that big old button
in the dash and rarely got anything but a brief squak out of it. Never did find the
problem. Wish I had kept it.
Steve
 
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