From: Ron (rojoha@adelphia.net)
Date: Tue Mar 15 2005 - 13:11:29 PST
1st we had the MVMVC flea market this past Sunday down in Lowell, MA.
Then today, the temp is in the low 40's, most of the 8 inches of snow we got
last Saturday has melted away from around the barn, we have a bright blue
sky, and the roads are clean and mostly dry.
The Deuce stares at me as I round the back of the barn, all the snow
melted off, though there appears to be a tree limb growing out of the roof
on the drivers side. Yep, but just a flesh wound.
What the heck, I'm in the cab, it's a nice day, slap the master switch,
we got buzz, depress the clutch, swipe the shifter through the pattern, back
to neutral, punch and hold the starter button, she cranks a bit, stutters,
cranks some more, shudders some more, catches, misses, catches and.....
Houston, we have ignition!!!
Lumpy idle smoothing out, we got oil pressure, air is coming up, settles
down around 1300 RPM, buzzer off.
Engage the front axle, transfer into low range, parking brake off,
stroke her into 1st, ease out the clutch.....
The folks in the Shuttle might get a bigger rush as they clear the tower
than I do as we punch through and over the 4 foot snow bank fencing in the
old girl, but right now I kinda doubt it. She shoulders her way through the
rest of the snow and starts churning through the mud along side the barn and
pulls up the hill onto the driveway. I stop and get out to do a circle
check. All tires are up and hard, no leaks under the hood or dripping
underneath, inside of all wheels are dry. Lights and directionals work. and
she's purring...
The road at the end of the driveway beckons and a school bus goes by
with the kids staring and pointing at the old girl. What the heck, why not?
Back into the cab, unlatch the drivers side windshield and open her up 5 or
so inches, blip the throttle, stroke her into 1st, front axle out, parking
brake off, ease out the clutch and we're rolling. Right turn at the end of
the drive, Armstrong steering at max, let her spin back as we accelerate,
grab 2nd, wind starting to come into the cab, pop third, tires starting to
hum up the first small hill, clutch and into forth, mash the accelerator
back down and slide her up into 5th. One of the kids off the school bus is
standing at the end of his driveway and pumps his fist up and down and we
oblige with a blast from the horns. Hoooieeee.....spring and summer are just
up the road...... Life is sweet!
Deuce this is Houston, you're go for throttle up....
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