Eldorado Sundown

 

Couldn't resist another sunset drive in the Eldorado today. After spending many hours with a toothbrush, towel and sunlight detergent I have the interior looking (and smelling) much better. Sitting in the shed with the windows and trunk lid open seems to be helping dry the carpets and reduce the mildew smell. 

I built a spark plug boot puller yesterday to get the stubbornly stuck boots off the spark plugs. I guess it worked about as good as one I could buy. Plugs were not bad. I hoped by cleaning them up I might cure the slight "miss" the engine has but after tonight's test drive its still there. Hoping its not a stuck valve. Planning to do a compression test next time I have some help handy.  The 425 still has impressive power even with one cylinder missing. I don't dare use the brakes except in case of emergency as I don't want the front caliper to lock up and drag again. Should have the new front brake hoses soon and once they are installed be back to normal brakes. Thats if I'm right in assuming the caliper is still ok.

Seems to be electrical problems too as none of the dash lights work. No high beams. Reverse lights are on in neutral. Power seats are inoperative. 

Weather has been so cold and below normal the past few days that I'm working in full winter wear in the shop. Spring has been reluctant to stay with us. Forecast is better for tomorrow.

Boss Hogg

 Those that watched tv in the seventies will recall the Boss Hogg character on the Dukes of Hazzard series. He drove a big Cadillac convertible with a set of Texas longhorns on the hood. I've already had a couple of references to that since adopting a 78 Eldorado yesterday. I'll keep it original, thanks anyway. I wasn't looking for one but this Eldo found me and needed a new home so here we are. Its pretty good mechanically and relatively rust free compared to some of the stuff I have. It's biggest problem is the mildewed interior. Coming from a damp climate it has a few water leaks that allowed the carpets to stay wet. It should do better in old dry Saskatchewan but first I need to get the mildew out of the leather seats. I can still smell it many hours after driving the car. 

I guess its my usual style of being a little off the beaten track getting a huge thirsty, carbon producing car when all the rest of the world is going green. But the way I see it my hundreds of acres of trees are a huge carbon sink that will provide an "offset" to the few miles I drive the Caddy. 

Just waiting for the day when Justin starts paying those of us that keep a few trees for carbon sequestration like they do in other countries.