News for 2001
New for 1999
- Dec 31st 2000: I was going to be in an Art Car parade in Boston, changed my mind though and went to a party in NYC instead. Mainly because the parade was going to be after dark, and one the sun goes down The Cat looks almost normal.
- Nov 28th 2000: Should have put the cable in yesterday. The Cat died at work today. I had to install the cable in the parkinglot, then get someone to drive me over to Wal*Mart so I could exchange the fried battery for another one (this is the fourth free replacement battery I've gotten from them!). Put the battery in and The Cat fired up great.
- Nov 27th 2000: Got home ok sunday, bought the cable today. However The Cat is starting fine, so I'll put it in tomorrow.
- Nov 24th-26th 2000: Drove down to Baltimore for Darkover. Along the way I got a crack in the windshield. Yes, the one I replaced in Feburary. I hate the Jersey Turnpike. In addition the negative battery cable is acting up, and I keep having to fiddle with it to get The Cat to start. None of the auto parts stores open this weekend have it, so I'll have to limp home with it this way.
- Nov 20th 2000: Traveled to a pick-your-part junkyard today. Got several things I needed, a new overhead console (in black), clothes hook (also in black), rear shock bolt cover (in red), a interior light lense, and a SUNROOF GASKET. How much did all this cost me? Five bucks. That's right, all that plus the gasket that goes for $175 was mine for five bucks and a few hours fun in a junkyard. Installed everything that day, the gasket has a minor leak I need to fix, but is *much* better.
- Nov 15th 2000: Went to a junkyard today and got a new visor for the driver's side (it's been broken for at least two years), and a headlight switch (to hopefully fix the problem of the dash lights not coming on at night). The visor went in w/o a hitch and works great, the switch did nothing. Also found out that the gasket for the sunroof is $175., so black duct tape will have to suffice for now.
- Nov 10th 2000: First time it's rained in at least a month, and The Cat's sunroof is leaking like mad, going to have to see what I can do...
- Nov 7rd 2000: Replaced a couple burned out bulbs. The Cat's CB radio isn't working, in addition the half-shaft on the driver's side has developed a rattle to go with the ongoing clicking.
- Oct 20th 2000: New PIctures added, as well as pictures from the Hartford to Providence Caravan for the Providence ArtCar Rhode Rally.
- Sept 11th - Oct 19th 2000: I've been busy with many things lately, not the least of which is spending a lot of time with Christa, owner of the artcar Ecco. In the mean time I have actually been getting things done on The Cat. SHe's gotten a new cassette player, new front tires, and a few other odds & ends repairs. Right now my big project is working on the 'shattered mirror' roof, which is taking forever due to the cold weather as of late.
- Sept 8th - 10th 2000: The Rhode Rally was a blast! Pictures from the caravan there to come, as well as new pics of The Cat.
- August 15th-September 8th 2000: A lot of work was done on The Cat in preperation for the ArtCar Rhode Rally among them were; New exhaust system, installation of a DC to AC power converter, addition of lots of quotes to the interior, removable curtains for the rear windows, several more toy cars glued to the dashboard, a new CB antenna, fixed the 'eyes', and repaired a lot of the quotes. Thanks to a friend loaning me a digital camera for the weekend, I will be taking a bunch of shots of The Cat, as well as all the other artcars at the show.
- August 14th 2000:A big update here. an F.A.Q. added, WddingCon 2000 part of the Travels section is up. Additions have also been made to Replies section.
- August 10th 2000: The Cat rolled over 200,000 miles. I bought her in April of 1997 with 101,000 miles, and considering that she sat for 11 months, it means she's been averaging about 44,000 miles a year!
- August 7th 2000: Installed a set of driving lights so I can actually see where I'm going at night. Also rewired that and the cooling fan so that they actually have fuses, and are wired to a switch panel on the dash, as opposed to hanging down loose. The update here is going to be delayed a bit, as I am busy with the Providence ArtCar Rhode Rally site, and my scanner has bit the dust.
- July 22nd 2000: Went to my first official artcar event. It was the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore's artcar parade to Artscape. It was *amazing*! Pictures to follow. (big update happening here Very Soon Now)
- July 20th 2000: Repaired the steering column, turned out to be the ignition switch, so I bought a junkyard column and used parts off that to repair the switch.
- July 13-17th 2000: The Cat is limousine for a pagan/hawaiian wedding in Nashville. More info, the story, and the pictures in the Travels section soon.
- July 12th 2000: The Cat gets a much needed tuneup. Plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, and fuel filter. Considering the last one was some 80,00miles and 11months of sitting ago, this was long overdue. She now is getting 1-3 more MPG then before.
- June 13th 2000: Added a few odds and ends pictures to the site, including ones of The Cat just before he rebuild, and Doctor Demento's signature.
- June 7th 2000: Repainted the cracked area on the hood yellow, with little green plants and red flowers. Hopefully this will get people to stop chipping more pieces off, or at least confuse them more. I also painted odds and end stuff on the interior, fixed up the chips in the yellow paint on the back bumper, and added a donations box to the side window. I'm currently looking forward to getting my registration for the Providence Rhode Rally Artcar Parade, which will be held in Rhode Island on September 9th.
- May 30th 2000: Today was a banner day for repairs on The Cat. I managed to finally get a chance to fix a lot of the little niggling problems I've been having. A new front rotor should fix the brake vibration, a set of air shocks should keep the back tires from rubbing when she's fully loaded, some liquid weld should stop the damn exhaust rattle. I also found the source of the mystery smoke from the other weekend, the wiper relay shorted out, I replaced that and all is well. Wednesday she goes to Boston, Thursday to NYC, then Saturday she helps a friend move into her summer place.
- May 21st 2000: The Cat has developed an untraceable coolant leak, I smell coolant leaking, I can hear it leaking, and there are small puddles under her from time to time, but I can't find where it's coming from. I think she is delighting in frustrating me. On a sidenote, her and I are likely going to serve as limo and driver for a friends wedding this summer.
- May 13th 2000: Backing out of a parking space, the dashboard began to smoke and I smelled burnt wiring. Pulled the dash apart and found no damaged wires nor any scorch marks. Drove around with the dash dissassembled for several days with no repeat occurances, so put her back together. I am throughly confused.
- April 5th 2000: Fixed the headlight. However due to a miscaculation in a parking garage, I managed to break both ears and the remaining wing off the gargoyle on the front bumper. I am now looking for a replacement ornament.
- March 31-April 2nd 2000: ICon was a blast! I tried and failed to enter The Cat in the art contest, almost got kicked out for parking her on the sidwalk in front of the Con, Had Dr. Demento ride in and sign her (Picture now avalible), and found a Ecto-1 toy to glue to the dashboard. All in all a worthwhile weekend. Oh, and she burned up a headlight bulb (and I do mean burned).
- MArch 30th 2000: Washed, vacuumed, and throughly scrubbed The Cat. Also she had a new headlight assembly and turn signal installed, as well as repairing the cat's eye headlights so they look good and glow green again.
- March 29th 2000: The Cat is going to be at ICon on Long Island this weekend. In fact, I'm going to see if I can manage to get her entered into the art show. This of course requires me to get her cleaned up and also get a lot of odds & ends things done to her.
- March 23rd 2000: With the installation of a new radiator, The Cat's overheating problems seem to be finally fixed.
- March 15th 2000: Drove from Ohio to Baltimore Maryland. The Cat is overheating again, just as bad as before. Including boiling over twice. At this point I have decided that she needs a new radiator, now all I need is $200. *sigh*
- March 14th 2000: New pictures in the New Pics section. Also blert.net is now hosting the ArtCar Webring.
- March 12th 2000: Awoke at 5am and headed to Columbus Ohio. The Cat was doing well, only running a bit hot when she was climbing hills. However when I hit Ohio I encountered an ice storm (it was 70deg when I was going through here two days ago!), the radiator iced over and she began running hot. Running the heat kept her from overheating though.
- March 11th 2000 8pm: The garage said that The Cat either has a bad radiator or a bad cooling fan assembly. So I added a second cooling fan, hopefully this will cure the overheating problem. I also replaced the thermostat gasket as it was leaking.
- March 10th 2000 6am: Drop The Cat off at the garage at 6am. Head off to the traffic ticket in the Purple Dragon. Get the ticket annuled (officer didn't show up in court). Right now I'm waiting to see if I get The Cat fixed in time to take it to Columbus this weekend, or if it'll have to sit until I get back.
- March 9th 2000: I awake at 10am, and ask the woman at the truck stop if she knows of any tire shops in the area, she tells me there isn't one for miles. Four blocks from the truck stop there are four in a one block radius. $104 later I have new rear tires and are off and running again. The rest of the trip up to NY state is uneventful, aside from noting that Pennsylvania seems to be hording all the hills that belong in the midwest. At 8pm on the Cross Bronx Expressway in NYC a five car pileup occurs less then 20 cars ahead of me. I end up strolling around on I-95 for an hour while they clear it out. It was interesting, how many people can say the walked down the fast lane of a major NYC highway, and lived?
- March 8th 2000: Have to head back to CT from Iowa to bring The Cat back to the garage and have them try and fix the cooling problem. Also I am scheduled to appear in court for a traffic ticket on the 10th.
- 10am: 10am finds me replacing the thermostat, then heading out of Grinnell and back east. I'm so busy watching the temperature guage I take the wrong turnoff and end up heading down I-74 instead of I-80, and don't realize if for 50 miles. I decide to continue on this slightly longer route, as I have plenty of time, and can stop to visit with Banshee in Columbus Ohio.
- 7pm: 7pm finds me in Indianapolis with split beads on both rear tires. This is causing The Cat to shake like a massage chair on speed. As all the tire stores are closed, I decide to try and limp to Columbus, staying under 50mph.
- 9pm: 9pm finds me installing the spare after the left rear tire blows out. I crawl to a rest area, hopeing the *other* rear tire doesn't decide to follow the first's example.
- 10pm: 10pm finds me sleeping in the back seat of The Cat in a Petro truck stop.
- 10am: 10am finds me replacing the thermostat, then heading out of Grinnell and back east. I'm so busy watching the temperature guage I take the wrong turnoff and end up heading down I-74 instead of I-80, and don't realize if for 50 miles. I decide to continue on this slightly longer route, as I have plenty of time, and can stop to visit with Banshee in Columbus Ohio.
- March 3rd-5th 2000: Drove to Y2Kitten a friends birthday party/excuse for a big party. The Cat is still running hot, hose was apparently not the cause of the overheating. The Cat was a big hit, and I had a chance to work on repairing much of the faded lettering while I was there. In addition several pictures were taken and will be submitted to Bawls.com as there picture of the day. Copies will appear in the New Pics section as soon as I get them uploaded.
- March 1st 2000: Bought a new hose and installed it, only problem is that the old hose had a special fitting for a climate control sensor, and the replacement didn't. So now the climate control doesn't wait until the engine heats up to turn on. Oh well.
- Febuary 29th 2000: Coming back from Perkins with Rikhei at midnight, The Cat blows a coolant hose on the highway. I manage to patch it up with duct tape and limp to a rest area. Due to a miscalcultion on my part I end up having to coast backwards through the truck area of the reststop at 40mph to get to where I can actually park The Cat. Rabbit picks us up round one am, will return for The Cat in the morning.
- Febuary 27th 2000: Replaced the copper gaskets for the brake line fitting, seems to have fixed the caliper leak.
- Febuary 26th 2000: Finally arrived in Grinnell at 8pm, 26 hours after I left. The Cat is running hot, and I have to keep the heat on full blast to keep the motor temp down. Also the new rear caliper is leaking.
- Febuary 25th 2000: Picked up The Cat at around noon. $1700 worth of new head gaskets and a completely rebuilt power steering system. Shortly thereafter she recieved a new windshield, full alignment, and passed her emmisions test with flying colors. At 6pm I headed for Grinnell Iowa, 1200 miles away.
- Febuary 14th 2000: The Cat was dropped off at a local garage, they are going to replace the head gaskets, and rebuild the Power Steering system. She was also reinsured today. Tomorrow she gets re-registered, and a new windshield follows as soon as I get her back.
- Febuary 10th 2000: She's going back on the road! Today I dug her out of the back yard(Pictures now avalible), replaced the battery *again* (ain't lifetime warrenties great?), and drove her back onto the driveway. A new rear caliper was installed, and the brake system was tested for roadworthiness. Monday she goes into the garage.