I love my wife and all, but Jesus Hercules Christ...

[old goat]

If you’d like, I could say something to her next time you’re at Bachy…

Ms TBS will randomly gasp, stomp the imaginary brake on her side and brace for impact for zero objective reason. I’m left trying to assess the threat and determine evasive maneuvers for a non-existent problem. And when I ask “what’s the problem”, the best I get is,”well, I thought…”

.

Not my wife but a male friend. Driving north on 395 from Bishop with him asleep in the right front seat. I'm in one of the intermittent passing lanes going up a hill. Buddy wakes up and is staring at the grill of a semi coming the other way in the single southbound lane. The curve of the road made it look like a head on was unavoidable. His shriek of terror still haunts me 20 years later. And I shook most of the way to Truckee.

[gaijin]

Deleted double post.

[gaijin]

Aren't you in Japan? How do they handle inspections and all that rigamarole for a home project like that?

Simply put-- yes, it would have to pass safety inspections akin to OEM standards of safety. But... and this is where the Economic Engineering comes into play--

Antiques and customs surprisingly get a bit of a pass. Example-- my modern Honda (every car) has to pass an OEM inspection every 2-3 years depending on how old it is. Each inspection gets more and more expensive. Around 15 years of age, any car will have a two year inspection that costs a few grand. This ultimately leads to the numbers working out that a new, more ecological car usually makes more economic sense than hanging onto a 20yo car just because you haven't driven it into the ground yet.

I call this "Forced Economic Stimulation."

But... a 1967 Mustang, with a license plate in the single digits (meaning it's less that 1 of 10 in the prefecture) will have a yearly inspection of a mere 50 bucks.

It's wild. It's almost as if Japan designed a system that keeps junkers off the road and promotes rarity amongst the hobbyists. But saying that would make me look like a conspiracy theorist.

So I call it Economic Engineering. And while I do (or used to) generally cringe at big, bureaucratic governments, there is an element to design that Japan does tend to get right in places. And this is one of them. 20 year old, stinky, rusty eye-sores on the brink of brake failure because the owner isn't necessarily a mechanic are exceptionally rare. And more common than those plywood-held-togther pieces of shit are legit classics. A gen one 240z lives in my neighborhood with the license plate 1. It's completely restored to original specs. The owner: "This thing is cheaper than buying a new Z... you just have to be the first guy to do it."

Another bro drives a '42 Ford pickup. #3. There's a '72 C5 in town, too. An old El Camino, a few 70's era Fiats, several 70's and 80's era Ferraris, a yellow Countach, some sort of 40's Willy's driven by a staunchy, tough looking woman, A LOT of old motorcycles, etcetera. The key is finding something rare, yet still something you'd be passionate about.

I asked my daughter if she wanted an OG Mini Cooper. She said: "I don't want a cute car, I want a cool car." My American persona laughed hard.

Back to the drawing board.

[fomofo]

A bug would be good for that. Taught me a lot. Not that anyone in the near future is going to need to know how to adjust valves, adjust points and timing, or even check the oil.

How many had a copy of this?



I did. And a girlfriend with a 67 bug. Or was it 69?

All the above plus a couple brake jobs, and probably some other stuff I’ve forgotten. Good times.

[gaijin]

More like this one...



As well as tools in the back, in a locking toolbox that was bolted to the floor in the event of an accident.

And a fucking spare 33" tire. Also kept a long flat-head screwdriver in the glovebox for adjusting the carburetor when changing altitude between the Central Valley and Tahoe. That 6,000ft was noticeable.

"You hear that?"
"What?"
"The vacuum line just came off the carb. Hand me that electrical tape in the glovebox."

On a side note-- I changed a different part of my cooling system in every state between Montana and Minnesota on a road trip to a buddy's wedding. On Friday evening, before the wedding-- "Hey, B. Can you go to the ____ store and pick up my new radiator? I'll pick up our tuxes. Tonight, with beers, you and I are going to change my radiator before Big H's wedding tomorrow."

"Sounds good! I'm on it."

Repairs like that were normal. And your bros were always right there to help.

[Meadow Skipper]

How many had a copy of this?



I did. And a girlfriend with a 67 bug. Or was it 69?

All the above plus a couple brake jobs, and probably some other stuff I’ve forgotten. Good times.

Haha! I still have my copy, I guess just for nostalgia’s sake. It really takes me back to see the grease-stained pages.


Getting the flywheel off was kind of a bitch. I needed a bigger hammer.

[yeahman]

Yeah I had a well worn copy. Rebuilt my '70 bus engine twice using that book. When I had more time than money. That book rules.

[MontuckyFried]

This commonality of all you guys wrenching on old VWs is one reason why I love this crowd.

[XXX-er]

Simply put-- yes, it would have to pass safety inspections akin to OEM standards of safety. But... and this is where the Economic Engineering comes into play--

Antiques and customs surprisingly get a bit of a pass. Example-- my modern Honda (every car) has to pass an OEM inspection every 2-3 years depending on how old it is. Each inspection gets more and more expensive. Around 15 years of age, any car will have a two year inspection that costs a few grand. This ultimately leads to the numbers working out that a new, more ecological car usually makes more economic sense than hanging onto a 20yo car just because you haven't driven it into the ground yet.
. .

that must be one of the reasons they get rid of them start exporting the vehicals at 15 yrs into Canada and 25 into USA when the inspection fee's start to kick in

which IMO would be an especialy bad idea in the USA cuz all the good ones would have already gone to Canada at 15 yrs

[xyz]

How many had a copy of this?



.

I didn’t. But I wish I did. I had a 67 bug when I was 18. The interior smelt of gas, the battery would cause backseat fires and releasing the clutch just wrong would violently shake the car making it unsellable. I couldn’t afford a mechanic back then so I just lived with all the above.


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[Boissal]

Ms TBS will randomly gasp, stomp the imaginary brake on her side and brace for impact for zero objective reason. I’m left trying to assess the threat and determine evasive maneuvers for a non-existent problem. And when I ask “what’s the problem”, the best I get is,”well, I thought…”

Ms Boissal did that to me a couple times, closest we've ever come from actually getting in a wreck because I had no idea what was freaking her out and damn near slammed on the brakes thinking I must have run a red light or missed something big. The second time she did it I pulled over and told her to drive.

[fomofo]

The Chilton/Haynes books were for “real” grease monkeys. ( Like Gaijin :-) That VW booklet was the hippie manual for those that really didn’t have the skills or tools, but were bold (or stupid) enough to dive in anyway armed with a couple wrenches, screwdrivers and a hammer. I figured that image might trigger some fond memories for more than a few hanging around here.

The first “For Dummies” book?

[puma]

If you’d like, I could say something to her next time you’re at Bachy…

I think it might be in my best interest if you keep quiet on that one...

[Johnny H]

Yup, had that book, a 67 bug and a 66 bus. Wonderful times, great stories.

[Bunion 2020]

Deleted double post.

FYI, if you click Edit Post you can delete the entire thing.

[The AD]

Not my wife, but sister-in-law. They are flying back home to visit their mom this fall. My SIL tells my wife "don't book the rental car through Costco, because whenever we do that it's like an hour wait at the rental counter." My wife has tried to explain to her numerous times that it's the same rental counters whether you book through Costco or you don't, but there's nothing that can convince her that the problem doesn't lie in booking the reservation through Costco.

[gaijin]

FYI, if you click Edit Post you can delete the entire thing.

I know. I tried that twice, but it wasn't working. I figured the box fan was broken again and the server was overheating.

On topic, I was trying to explain the Double Slit experiment to my wife yesterday. That went about as well as you'd expect. Maybe I'll search for an easy, animated presentation.

[Core Shot]

^^^^ bring your mistress home and report back on the double slit experiment

[gaijin]

^^
“My wife changed her behavior from a wave in the bed, to a particle on the wall. I don’t know if she froze from the pressure of being observed or if she just wanted to observe.”


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[Core Shot]

Not sure it belongs in the wife thread, but wave particle duality really is a bizarre concept.
The matrix is confusing at times.

The shadows on the cave are not the droids you are looking for

Schrodingers cat only exist in the box. And yet most men desire the pussy in the box. And pussy outside the box can be not so enjoyable.

Tell Eve that I like to watch. And send another message to Raphael.

[pfluffenmeister]

Heh. That reminds be of driving shitty old marginal vehicles through the desert back in the day during summer with the heat on all the way. No A/C, windows down, beer guzzled.

Mojave desert, noon,18 hours on the road already, 1970's pickup truck with a trailer, overheating engine with the heat on high, with 3 ripe college age guys trapped inside!

[Darren Jakal]

How many had a copy of this?



I did. And a girlfriend with a 67 bug. Or was it 69?

All the above plus a couple brake jobs, and probably some other stuff I’ve forgotten. Good times.

I don’t have a wife to complain about, but I did have that book (and the Haynes I think) to go along with my 68, 69 and 71 vans. The drawings are fantastic. I could eventually drop the engine onto an old school 12 bottle beer case in under a half hour.

[riser4]

I could eventually drop the engine onto an old school 12 bottle beer case in under a half hour.

There's a lot to unpack right there.

[DBdude]

I don’t have a wife to complain about, but I did have that book (and the Haynes I think) to go along with my 68, 69 and 71 vans. The drawings are fantastic. I could eventually drop the engine onto an old school 12 bottle beer case in under a half hour.

we used a plastic milk crate. unbolt the motor - lower it on the crate - push the van away

[Beaver]

I have that book. It was better than Chilton. It kept my 73, 75 bugs, 69 type 3 wagon and 71 bus running for years.