Nug

I think it was called "3AT peeps, I need your help. Sort of important". The issue has been resolved, but if you want to learn a thing or two about the differences between 3AT automatics, i guess it's a good read.

I believe that a west coast rally is very seriously being considered. Keep your chins up.

You can do whatever you want to with it, so long as the purchase price is $250 or less. They didn't check that, either. The spirit of the event is to show up with some piece of junk and try to drive it 1500 miles in four days. If you break down, there are plenty of people there to help, and if you can't get it back together, call a junkyard, grab a rental, or hop in someone else's car.

Specs? It needs to have a purchase price of $250 or less, be registered and insured, and pass whatever inspections, if any, that are required by your state. Staten island to New orleans. Big rolling party. http://www.baberally.com

Also check out http://www.baberally.com. In the forums, there's a place called Babe2007: I was there. There are photo threads.

Ole! I had an absolute blast. One of the most fun times ever. You need to go.

My sister, on the left, and Tim Hanson, right, at Chateau LeMoyne, New Orleans, on the 28th. A thousand unused FEMA trailers in Mississippi. Oh noes!!!1 Swapping stub axles and brake drums in Tennessee. This was possibly the greatest vacation ever. If this even seems remotely interesting, then start shopping for $250 (or less) cars right now (and a AAA membership). I had an absolute blast, and I'm sure I'll do it again.

I test-fitted some flamingos earlier...

If you'd like, you can PM me your phone #, and if I scatter parts, I'll give you a call.

My decal connection has fallen through, so I've got a local company doing it. He came out to measure some stuff, and then he noticed a snakeskin protruding from between the door and front fender. "I ain't gettin in that car!" he proclaimed loudly. He thought the whole idea was hilarious. After learning that I had done some aluminum welding for a semi-local fire station, he said he'd lower the price for me. Sweet. All I have left to do to the car before i go is put in the new blower motor relay and install an inner fender liner. Anyone else live on the route? http://www.baberally.com/babe.esp?PG=route

R134a operates efficiently at higher pressures than R12. The high pressure switch may be affected in this case. Don't know if there are other switches that will easily solve this problem. Also, it needs a larger condensor to be as effective. When converting, the amount of R134a should be 80% of what the R12 charge should have been. Typically, R134a should be charged using a scale or some other method of measuring the amount that goes in, because it's more sensitive to overcharging than other refrigerants. If you have a marked drop in cooling at idle, your compressor probably has some wear. But this is somewhat normal anyway, because the compressor isn't turning as fast, and there isn't as much airflow across the condensor. Solution: Drive fast. Or fit the largest condensor you can find.

Yes. It stands for Metal Inert Gas.

That Northern mig welder looks reasonable. It's got a cold trigger, which is vital, and can use sheilding gas. There may be a kit you need to buy to use the gas, I'd get it. I've used flux core wire in my miller, and hated it. I use my 110v Miller ALL THE TIME. I consider it an essential tool. The MIG can do all the work of that little arc welder box and much more. I'd save my pennies and get the MIG, hands down.

http://www.baberally.com/babe.esp?PG=route This is close to the route we are taking. If you are near the route anywhere and feel like pm'ing your address and phone #, i'd appreciate it. Eric

I do have extra plugs, too. I might pick up a belt. If I blow the clutch cable, then I'm going to be doing some rev-matching, i suppose. Tools certainly won't be a problem. I put new CV boots on up front, and packed some new grease up in there. I haven't heard any noise from the rear, I'm going to hope it stays together. Part of the spirit of the event is to fix as little as possible and deal with it when it happens. One guy is driving a gremlin from Wyoming as we speak, and he thinks he's got a cracked cylinder wall. If he makes it, then I'll be fine.

I'm taking my $100 '82 GL Wagon on the BABE Rally. VA to NY to New Orleans and back to VA. My sister will be with me. Tim Hanson and Miles Fox are going to be there too. I've got reasonable tires on the car. Good brake pads. An extra distributor. An extra clutch disc. Extra almost new reman alternator. I'll try to bleed the brakes before I go. I plan on adding a coolant overflow tank, coolant does have a tendency to disappear. I don't know where it's going, but it doesn't overheat. I've only driven the car a couple hundred miles, so I'm not totally familiar with it. Any wisdom you wanna slide my way?

It's the relay. Hit it with a screw driver, fan comes on. I ordered another, around $10. Now the kicker is that I turned on the a/c, and it works. Like it's nearly fully charged, and puts out nice cold air. I thought the compressor was locked up, but I must have mixed it up in my head with my vw dasher. I was going to swap the compressor, glad I didn't put a wrench on it!

This reminds me of the time I completely dissassembled a VW engine, and completely reassembled it, then realized it was a damn spark plug wire that was causing a miss. That sucked hard.

Didn't get to it tonight. I was watching Joan of Arcadia.

Fuse good, resistors good (one filament was burned out, soldered in one from a legacy). No power at any of the terminals of the blower motor switch or at the resistors. Where is the dang blower motor? I really don't want to pull the dash just to put a meter on the motor terminals. What feeds this circuit, and from where? I have 6 days to have working A/C for the BABE rally. *EDIT* 1982 GL Wagon *Edit again* I actually did a search. Tomorrow i look for blower motor relay.

Completely put back together and running good. Put the balanced tires back on, and went for a drive. Right after that the ancient Die-Hard died. Crappy used wal-mart battery currently resting in it's spot.

Not get too mad when he/she wipes out a row of mailboxes with it.

Sure you don't have a big rump roast vacuum leak somewhere?

I drove it last night. Everything is fine (except for the rotted exhaust and one tire that was waaay out of balance). Trans shifts as good as a 3AT can. Thanks, all. I'll keep updating how the Dexron VI fluid works out.

Trans 80% installed. Have axles, swaybar, exhaust left. Dexron VI fluid from GM in it. Hope to have it driving by this evening.