$783 (after tax) to fix laptop. Yee-Haw! Hopefully some work comes knocking on my door soon, so I can post some of these shots of Beautiful Northern California. . . At least the van runs. Come on Universe, I'm giving you all my energy, so please send me an answer to my problems. . .

Ok, I haven't posted in quite sometime, I know this, but I have a very good excuse. My computer's fried! Yay! Got the van running just in time to spill water all over my laptop, now I have to dish out a whole lot of money I don't have to hopefully get it working again! So that's what's new. I'm back in Arcata with a van ready for action, just have to make some money now for gas and computer fees. Hopefully I'll have my laptop back soon and be posting pictures again, but until then, Moot and I are just glad the van runs!

As assumed, the process of 'swapping motors' didn't turn out to be as simple as swapping motors. Having to use the original transmission (not a bad thing, just unexpected) was the first surprise I ran into, as the new one has another gear, requiring me to pull the entire steering column to go with it. Seeing as the original tranny works and fits, that was an easy decision. Next issue, there was no way to swap all the electrical, as the fuse boxes were different plug types, so the hope of having a fuel injected engine was now in limbo in accordance with my knowledge of electrical conversions, which is absolutely none. Solution, swap the fuel injected intake manifold for my carborated intake manifold. Easy as, right? Not when the 4 of the 12 bolts are driven into the block at a different angle, which brings us to the next diversion; fabrication! After a few hours shaving away the steel with a chainsaw file, I successfully got all 12 bolts securely torqued to GM specification.

At this point all I have to do is install the distributor without messing up the firing order, then stab the motor and transmission into the van and begin hooking everything up, which will be a nice change, because I can do a majority of that from inside the van as opposed to outside in the steady downfall.

And that's what's new!

So here's the progress thus far. Bad motor out, with the other on schedule to be in tomorrow, then I'll be left with the nonsense that is 'rewiring' my '81 previously carborated van for the '89 fuel injected motor I'm putting in. Fingers crossed that once I transfer the 'brain' into my van, everything should work out just perfectly. . .

Last night, I came across an offer I couldn't refuse...


And she purrs like a kitten!




Engine swap time...

Lately, when not searching for jobs, showers, parking places, tools, food and a chevy 350 5.7L engine that runs, I've been playing around with photoshop, actually using it for what it's meant to be used for; graphics! Here's my first project (from an online tutorial)...

I took these pictures....



And made this!


Photoshop is fun!

I've got a surprise for you guys tomorrow. I bought something. . .

"Upon those travelers who make their way without maps or guides, there breaks a wave of exhilaration with each unexpected change of plans. This exhilaration is not a whore who can be bought with money nor a neighborhood beauty who may be wooed. She (to persist in personifying the sensation as female) is a wild and sea-eyed undine, the darling daughter of adventure, the sister of risk, and it is for her rare and always ephemeral embrace, the temporary pressure she exerts on the membrane of ecstasy, that many men leave home."

-Tom Robbins-

The arranged plan of driving to Bishop and working at an animal clinic for the holidays was completely blown apart, along with the lower end of my engine, ultimately leaving Joseph and I stranded in Arcata, but with time comes opportunity, and a free van may be falling into my lap soon. I'm still undecided on what to do with it, but I'm leaning towards selling the freebee and purchasing a rebuilt chevy 350 with the proceeds and dropping it into the motionless shell I'm not ready to stop calling 'home'. Is a day job at an auto shop and possibly night work at a restaurant in my near future? Only time will tell. . .

The past few days have been filled with hopes of work and selling of a van, with the purchase of a new van, hopefully in the near future. It would be just to perfect to move out of this one, and directly into another... Till all that happens, we've just kinda been enjoying some sunshine, which becomes a rarity in the pacific north west around this time of year.

So here's a photo of Moot running up and down the beach, enjoying himself to the fullest. He's a happy pup!


Lucky for Moot, it looks like we're going to be here a while, as I've managed to sling a rod in my van. With an engine rebuild in the back of my mind, I come looking for a job. . .

Haven't been doing to much productive in Cali yet, just kinda been monkeying around...