Stijn!!

[Flieger]

Merry Christmas, y'all

[GH85Carrera]

Merry Christmas to you Max. Long time no post from you.

Are you working in automotive engineering? I hope so.

[Noah930]

Merry Christmas, Max! And to the rest of you Stijners, too.

[pete3799]

Merry Christmas all.

[GH85Carrera]

We had a good Christmas. Great food!

We drove up the my MIL's house and she had Christmas for the family gathering. My BIL has two boys, and they both have two boys. One of the great grandsons is 17 and a total computer geek. My MILs computer is 11 years old, and needed some updates. I noticed the WiFi was working fine, but not the Cat5 cable plugged in to the computer. When I looked at it, I noticed an all new Modem, and WiFi router from the last time I was there. So I asked Ayden if he had changed it. Yep, to get faster WiFi since my MIL streams a lot. We bonded a bit over computers and he now thinks I must be Methuselah as I told him I have a copy of Windows 386, and Dos 1.1 from when they were new.
So we got the issue sorted out. He is amazing on his phone. With two thumbs he can type really fast. I had given him my old color laser printer as I had bought a new one for my office. I did not want to dispose of the old one, so he uses it.

He was amazed when I told him the specs of my computer. He is in college taking computer course, Calculus, and the other course required to keep the professors employed.

The other nephew of mine has a Mustang that he has a loud exhaust. Golly what a surprise. It has several aftermarket go fast parts on it. I have invited him down to watch at our next autocross. He is 19 and I believe the participants have to be 21 is they are not PCA with the signed waivers from both parents.

[GH85Carrera]

We finally have a few finches on the bird feeder in the front yard. Now if the bluebirds, cardinals will find it it might be worth the weeds we are going to get.

[GH85Carrera]

The word amongst the finch world is spreading. We have a lot more finches. The best part is lots of them are hopping around on the ground eating the spillage. Every one they get is one less weed I will have to deal with.

[flipper35]

Our family Christmas got postponed due to weather and sickness, but our little celebration at home was good.

We had mostly a little snow and 50mph wind.

Alaska has the most eastern most land in the US.

[GH85Carrera]

Ya gotta love corporate think. Or not.

Back when I was ready to have our alarm system monitored, I looked around and I wanted a small locally owned and locally monitored system. I found a company that a few new sensors, for the garage door, and a motion detector in the living room, CO and smoke detector in the center of the house. All was fine, and they sold out to bigger company, and they were bought, and a few years ago, ADT swallowed them up. Not what I wanted, and I may start looking for a new provider.

One of the days it was super cold, the batteries in the sensors for the garage reported low battery. The little battery compartments are plastic, and the tabs that hold the coin batteries in place are broken off. So I called the alarm folks and told them they need to fix it. They said the parts are all part of the system and repaired for free, but I have to buy the batteries. No sweat, I have two I tried to put in, but can't due to the broken plastic.

He came out today. Since he is replacing the broken compartment, it comes with batteries for free. Yep, that makes zero sense. They should be good for another 10 years. If the part was OK, I have to buy the batteries, if the entire thing is bad, batteries are included. Only a large corporation would make silly rules like that.

[cassisrot]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

We finally have a few finches on the bird feeder in the front yard. Now if the bluebirds, cardinals will find it it might be worth the weeds we are going to get.

You’ll be happy to know the Cardinals are headed your way. One visited the feeder Christmas Day any we are just south of the Red.

[GH85Carrera]

We have lots of cardinals in the area. Lots of bushes and the terrain is perfect for them. I saw a pair of bluebirds next to our bluebird house. I don't know if they moved in yet.

Today there were 20 or so house finches, several were the males, but lots of females. We have a birdbath in the back yard that is heated to keep it from freezing so they have water.

[GH85Carrera]

The finches were back en mass today. Evidently one of them was the "watch bird" at the top of tree, and not eating. I went to the mail box and as soon as I stepped foot on the porch, the bird on the top had some warning and they all flew off. I get no respect for hanging the bird feeder up, they just fly off! They came back after I went inside. They don't stick around for long. I have to wonder if that is to not attract attention of other bird species, or if they get full fast and are done. I suspect they are trying to not be noticed. They don't want the crows to catch them in the act.

[Noah930]

Finally made it to one of these today. Have heard about it for awhile, but this is a Friday morning gathering, and work has always gotten in the way. But I took this week off. Went out of town up to Monterey with the family for a few nights, but returned on Thursday, so perfect timing to try out this spin on a cars and coffee event, 26miles up in the mountains.

https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/events/a39543506/new-favorite-destination-event-good-vibes-breakfast-club/

[GH85Carrera]

Noah, that sounds like a fun trip. We have a curve on a road just off of Rt66. Not a great road however. If I want curvy roads I pretty much have to go to Arkansas and drive the best roads in the country, but that is a several hour drive to get there.

Happy New year guys. 2023. Wow.

As a kid I was an avid reader, and remember reading 1984 in the late 60s or 70s. I love science fiction and loved seeing 2001 a Space Odyssey in 1968, before we ever landed on the moon. many 2001 was so far off in the future.

As a kid in elementary school I remember ready about the future return of Haley's comet and how in 1986 it would return. I vividly remember doing the math and realizing I was going to be a OLD man by then. The drawings all showed a huge streak in the sky, and I wanted to see that. Wow, what a let down when with a 21 inch telescope it was just a fuzzy blob, fixed in the sky.

I still want my flying car and personal jet pack.


These two photographs are separated by 66 years

[GH85Carrera]

Having fun with old cars.

Yesterday it got up to 67 degrees, and in the sun the car interior was getting hot so I put the AC lever in AC mode, and got just outside air and no compressor action. Crap.

So today I checked the charge and it was about 2.5 psi. Double crap, a major leak to let it all out. I think that is the first time ever that I remember having to start from basic zero. I hooked up the nitrogen tank and pressurized the system and it sounded like a major leak. Right at the compressor connection on the back. Last time I had that connection off, I had to use some 4 seasons brand seals and I guess they lived up to their bad reputation. Fortunately being a handsome, witty, bon vivant very modest genius I had ordered some quality seals back then to use next time. This is next time. They are in, and I figured while it is at 120 PSI of nitrogen, I might as well look for leaks in other places. I found one slow leak at the high pressure side schrader valve. I replaced it, and all is good. So now it will sit overnight with the pressure on it and see how much if any it drops. Hopefully none, and I can charge it and have AC for the winter.

[Outback Porsche]

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year everyone.

BTW, I’ve finally got a build allocation for the 718 - mid Feb, with an expected delivery in May. Woot!

[GH85Carrera]

Nice! Have fun with it!

I kept getting a slow leak with the nitrogen leaking out in a few hours. I pressurized it again, and hosed down every hose connection with soapy water. As it is pretty much impossible to hit some areas with a spray bottle of soapy water, one area I was ignoring were the hoses themselves. One of the crimps that goes from a aluminum hard line to a rubber hose was leaking. Ah Ha! That bad news is that it was the high pressure line from the compressor to the evaporator. And it is part of a manifold with the low pressure line from the accumulator back to the compressor. So I removed them bot and will take them to a local AC shop and have new lines made, again. They made up these lines about 10 or 12 years ago. They should not be leaking, but that line goes right from the compressor, over the exhaust manifold, up to the condenser which is right behind the radiator, so it lives in a harsh environment. I can imagine on a 100+ degree day, the pressures are high, and the temps are extreme under the hood inches away from the exhaust manifold. Still it should have lasted longer that 10 years. I guess the factory lines did not live more than 20 years.

[Porsche-poor]

Morning all. Happy New Year. Had a much needed week off now its back to the grind till the end of May unless I take vacation days.

[GH85Carrera]

I went over to the AC shop that built my AC hoses. At the front counter was "the old man" that started the place. I pointed at the spot where the leak and told his they had built the hoses 10 years or so ago. He said, "that looks like a bad crimp, and I am the one that likely built it back then." So in a joking way I said "OK, no more practice, just make a perfect crimp this time!" and he laughed. So hopefully in an hour I can go back and get my car back together. I will pressurize it again, and see that it noes not leak out the nitrogen. Then replace the orifice tube and accumulator and all the necessary seals and o-rings, purge with nitrogen, vacuum, purge, vacuum, and charge.

[flipper35]

I have had absolutely no issues with the A/C in the Cobra. Perfectly replicates the weather outside every time. Though the foot boxes are always hot for some reason.