A Little Here, a Little There

Mikhaila and I still have plenty to do before Scarlett is finished. Last night we knocked a few more things off the To-Do list. We started by changing the oil and filter (FYI, the odometer read 55790), and then moved on to installing the trunk lock. The other night I had been looking for something else in the GUP cubbies and unearthed a trunk lock with a gasket, two door locks, and, most importantly, the clip that retains the trunk lock – just the part the local Corvair guru, Gary, said he did not have. TYL. After the lock was in, I lubricated the mechanism with some graphite spray and it turned nice and freely.

With the trunk still open, we checked out the electrics controlling the wiper motor. The other day, I thought we’d found out the wipers wouldn’t run, but didn’t get any farther. With a multi-meter, we verified that 12 volts was getting to the plug and then we verified the switch was grounding out the other terminal. With the electrics working, we deduced the issue must be at the motor. I plugged in the connector and lo-and-behold the wiper motor started spinning. Mikhaila quickly turned off the switch so the blades didn’t run on a dry windshield. Then, with me holding blades up, she turned the switch and they started moving again. TYL. She turned off the switch, and we then slid under the dash and sprayed WD-40 on the linkages. Scarlett’s got wipers.

Back to the open trunk, we emptied out the box of still-to-be-installed parts and refilled it with the gas can and ATF jug from the salon, a set of jumper cables, spare fanbelt, and a funnel. Next, I pulled a jack and lug wrench from the shelf and stowed it in the trunks left front corner before shutting the lid.

The final act of the evening was to install the wheelcovers Mikhaila had chosen. The car’s starting to look finished – at least from the outside.

Tomorrow we're scheduled to visit Gary's and use his blower bearing greasing tool to try and quiet the howl from Scarlett's engine bay. I'll also make some measurements so I can drill holes and install Scarlett's side-view mirror. For whatever reason, she has no mounting holes in her driver's door. Finally, we'll be raiding his stash of spare parts for a couple door lock retaining clips so we can finally fill the holes under the door handles.