Re: Update on the SOS

["Tom Harais" <tjhemh@domain.elided>]

Ken:

>> How many times have you had to just sit
>> around for two hours at a car wash?

Several.  That was my first inkling that my ignition got wet too easily. 
And, like you, I have never been sure exactly what it is that's getting
wet.  The inside of the dist cap looked dry.  But leaving it off in the hot
sun for a couple of hours and the thing started right up.  I definitely
wasn't getting spark and the primary side of the ignition seemed to be
working.  So, that meant secondary side or "Gold Box" in my book.

One time, I went to the car wash here in Antioch in a bad part of town,
right at dusk.  The darn thing wouldn't start and it was getting dark.  The
low lifes started "coming out of the woodwork".  They were mostly going
into the convienence store next to the car wash to get beer, but there were
a few coming into the car wash as well.

I pushed the Scout out of the stall and up next to a fence, so that no one
would hassle me about hogging the stall.  There were more and more low
lifes cruising around and just hanging at the store next door.  It was
maybe 21:00 on a hot, sultry summer night.  Things were just looking to get
heated.  This asian couple owns and operates that store and I could see the
bikers and low riders terrorizing them inside the store.  The beer was
beginning to take effect and insults and occasional bottles began to fly. 
I was really hoping a cop would come by and clear out the whole mess.

Pretty soon a cop did come by and just kept right on going.  By that time,
there were twenty or thirty people drinking around the store and the car
wash.  It was a hot summer night and a lot of the "cruisers" were out and
they would drive by and throw bottles at the folks who were drinking. 

Well pretty soon a bottle hits my Scout and I've had it.  I haven't tried
to start it in a while because I don't want the low lifes to see how
vulnerable I am.  So, I went and called my nieghbor to bring me some tools
and give me a hand.  I told him what was going on and he said he'd be right
there.

Well. my nieghbor was a retired Navy Senior Chief and he didn't take shit
from anyone.  So, he shows up and walks up to my Scout to see what's up. 
Just then, another bottle comes flying by and explodes on the pavement.  My
neighbor walks back to his truck, gets two handguns off the seat, makes
damn sure all the low lifes see him do it and walks back over to my Scout,
openly handing me a .45 which I shove into my paint waste as he does the
same with the other gun.

Well needless to say the low lifes all see this and pretty soon, they are
trailing off down the street to the other side of the parking lot, away
from the car wash.

I finaly got the Scout started and we were out of there. It was maybe 23:00
or so.

But, the worst times my Scout picked to "get wet" were foggy mornings at
05:00 when I went out to start it and pick a buddy up to go duck hunting. 
Days of not being run combined with sitting in the fog have a way of making
it not start.  Then, my Chevy, Ford and Dodge loving freinds can make fun
of my old IH.  I hate that and am determined to fix it so it won't happen
anymore.

Any thoughts?

Tom H.