Don Don's Garage

SIZE MATTERS - Semi Truck Drift Gymkhana Feature
- 11 Apr 2012
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The Derelicts a short film by eGarage
- 7 Feb 2012
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Dead Battery on Top of BART Parking Structure
- 29 Nov 2011
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Not thoroughly impressed with SaveTow, but they managed to get the job done.
This morning after being charged overnight the truck is running fine and idling normally.
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New mirror and vent window for mater
- 24 Nov 2011
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Finally got the vent window replaced as well to keep the rain, critters and yellow-jackets out of the cab.

The new one (left) came with a bent bottom support, I bent it back with my benchtop vise, all in all worked beautifully.

I also replaced the horn plate contacts and cleaned up the rust inside the center of the steering wheel to solve my horn-short issue.
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Pulling the tow truck out, another destroyed mirror.
- 19 Nov 2011
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- 57wrekr auto
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Time to look for some modern replacements that I can fold in.
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Awesome commercial, If you don't immediately recognize the voice you need to turn in your drivers license.
- 4 Oct 2011
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My knee is sore after that drive.
- 20 Sep 2011
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I decided to get out early in the am before traffic last weekend and try to practice with the truck. I still have to get enough confidence to go get it weighed.
My plan was to head out north Livermore into the country roads, giving me a chance to open it up without being on the highway.
I didn't make it, right as I stopped and turned right onto north Livermore from portola the gas pedal fell behind to the floor and the gas pedal lever that goes through the firewall now sets higher than the pedal actually reaches. I limped the truck into the neighborhood just to the right; I couldn't find a reason for it; but the gas pedal shaft will no longer rest behind the pedal. But works and goes all the way to the floor.
So I got back in and I drove the truck by just keeping the nub of the gas pedal shaft under control with the bottom of my shoe. I was getting the hang of it; started a couple times from a dead stop fairly elegantly. Then I got brave and decided I had annoyed this set of neighbors enough I should head back home. The north Livermore back country would have to wait until I had a less than lethal gas pedal.
Just as I get to the light to turn left it turns red, ... Dammit. Now I have traffic behind me and I get to be first into the intersection when the light changes. The light changes, I start out good, gas is strong, clutch easing out, not covering enough ground, ... Damn I didn't realize this intersection was this big, more gas less clutch, a herking-jerking we go, I'm trying to find a position in the clutch to ease the jerking, I don't dare let up all the way, so i decide more gas, HOLY MOLY the truck didn't like that! the whole truck starts hopping like it's a seal out of water, the gearshift begins jackhammering me in the knee punishing me for my overzealous application of fuel. I finally get the beast under control and now its moving in a straight line; people flying past me on the left. Most of them weren't mad, most of them I think were just bewildered from the show they had just witnessed and more than anything else just wanted to be farther away from it of it in case it were to happen again.
Rubbing my knee, ... That'll probably leave a mark... I'm on a straightaway doing 35 in 4th I realize the diff must be in low; I pull the lever to switch, no sound no change; let all the way off the gas; no change. I push it in; no sound no change. So it appears the diff is stuck in low; at least that explains why I cant get to highway speeds. I repeatedly tried to change it, clutch in, Clutch out, nothing seemed to work; and I've heard it work. In my second trip out. But nothing doin this time around.
My short list of suspects is that I'm either not generating enough vacuum, I have a vacuum leak, the fluid leak at the diff may be a cause, or that part of the diff has decided it's on vacation until this new jerk learns how to drive it nicely.
Oh forgot the best part, pulling it out of the parking spot I ripped off the left mirror this time. So I'm 2 for 2, I ripped off the right last time, it's costing me $16 to unpark my own vehicle each time I want to use it. $16 = cheapo head mirror replacement from kragen. I asked the manager if she would kindly keep an eye on the inventory and order some more when she gets low 'cause I'd be back...
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Mater Comes Home
- 28 Jul 2011
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Mater's back from the shop.

New brakes, rebuilt master cylinder and hydrovac. All new brake lines, and a couple new vacuum lines.

Brakes were entirely overhauled, drums machined, new wheel cylinders, new shoes.

Emergency brake was adjusted, right front leaf springs straightened out and re-bracketed. Tie-rod ends and kingpins have been replaced.

He's still running really rough, one cylinder is totally dead, and another is intermittent. I need to do a full tune up to see If I can get him running on all eight cylinders.

It was an exhilarating and terrifying ride from the shop to home. All of my driving up to this point only partially prepared me for what I had just experienced.

Here are my thoughts as I drove my 57 Wrecker for the first time.

Clutch out, gas, c'mon, c'mon, ... ok that wasn't so hard.

ok, now need to turn, .., Turn, TURN, TURN!, OMFG IM GONNA DIE, TURN! TURN! TURRRRRRRRRRRN! ... ah hell holy crap I almost just took out that fence.

street coming, going to need to stop, slow.

ok, need to stop, .., Stop, holy crap, STOP! STOP! STOOOOOOP!

And that was before I got out of the shops parking lot.

I liken my first Mater driving experience to 'Whipping an ogre to do your bidding'. You'll eventually get him to do what you want, but he isn't going to be at all happy about it.

The video was done on a phone, I'll try to get a better version. In the background you can hear my wife, her sister is recording, and she was there with her son. You can hear my nephew in the background, 'I like it!'. Well, so do I.

This will be a great learning experience, and I can't wait to take it out and practice some more.
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2nd Annual Trans Am Graffiti Cruise

14 Jun 2011
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auto bluebird

I had a blast taking the Bluebird out with a bunch of other second-gen Firebirds. We started at GM Sports in San Jose, hit Kassabian's in Dublin/Pleasanton and trecked up to Modesto for the Graffitti Car Show.

Dear Cruisers,

Thanks for an awesome cruise this year! We outdid ourselves with 20 cars this year compared to 8 last year. Please mark your calender for the second Saturday in June, 2012, and plan on joining us again.

I am still going through all of the photo's we took. If you have some noteworthy shots you'd like to share please forward them so I can share them with the group. I plan on sending an album out by next weekend.

A special THANK YOU goes out to the following sponsors for helping to make this event fun for all, opening up your parking lots and businesses and for filling us up on coffee and donuts:

GM Sport Salvage

Kassabian Motors

A big HUGE THANK YOU to the car show coordinators and the Kiwanis Club of Modesto for allowing us to park our precious Trans Ams in a secure area! We all really appreciate that and your event was outstanding as usual!!!

Lisa Dalisa

(AKA Jose)

"This is sheriff Buford T. Justice. I'm in pursuit of a black Trans Am. He's all mine so stay outta the way."

Buford T. Justice 1977

(download)

If you've ever pushed the gas pedal a little harder than you needed to, just to hear it growl. You'll love this.
- 29 Mar 2011
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"Shell commercial shown in Europe . Ostensibly, they're selling gasoline, but the cars used in the video steal the show. Ferrari pulled several of their race cars from various ages out of storage, flew them around the world, and filmed them running through the streets of Rome, Rio, New York, Hong Kong, Honolulu and Monaco. No computer generated graphics -- these are the original cars on the original streets. The best part is the sound -- from the basso-profound notes of the early, front-engine era, each scene cuts to a later generation, ending with the wail of a modern F1 car. Even if you're not a gear-head, this video will stir the soul. There's just something about 3 liters and 14,000 RPM! I really like the people's reaction to the sound."

-- Gui

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SIZE MATTERS - Semi Truck Drift Gymkhana Feature

The Derelicts a short film by eGarage

Dead Battery on Top of BART Parking Structure

New mirror and vent window for mater

Pulling the tow truck out, another destroyed mirror.

Awesome commercial, If you don't immediately recognize the voice you need to turn in your drivers license.

My knee is sore after that drive.

Mater Comes Home

2nd Annual Trans Am Graffiti Cruise

If you've ever pushed the gas pedal a little harder than you needed to, just to hear it growl. You'll love this.

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