Date:         Mon, 18 Dec 95 11:53:16 mdt
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         jonesl@tcplink.nrel.gov
Subject:      Neighbors!!

     Bob,
     
     Sorry to hear your tale of woe with the new neighbors - - - hopefully 
     they'll get used to it.  
     
     I'm going thru the same thing now on a small scale - my '72 SB finally 
     gave up the ghost and and threw a rod on my way home week before last. 
     We had to retrieve it off the interstate and drag it home at about 
     midnight to avoid excessive traffic.  When my buddy and I pushed it 
     into the driveway - it attracted a lot of attention on my suburban 
     street.  
     
     The new 1776 engine isn't quite finished yet.  Those final few details 
     always seem to take longer than expected.  And nothing ever quite fits 
     like it's supposed to.  Had to modify engine tin, fabricate support 
     for Weber progressive, clean and paint a bunch of stuff, etc. etc. 
     etc.  Most of this was going on late at night with various work lights 
     on, propane heater firing away, various hammerings and expletives not 
     deleted.  Still have to finish putting the tin, heater boxes, exhaust, 
     throw-out bearing, and some other odds and ends.  Should be done in 
     time to start it up by Christmas if the weather doesn't get too cold!  
     (Ho! Ho! Ho!!)
     
     In the meantime the old SB was sitting out in the driveway dripping 
     oil until yesterday, when I finally got around to pulling the old 
     engine and moving it into the garage.  No matter what I did, I 
     couldn't stop the dripping oil from turning into a slick heading down 
     the driveway.  Two of my neighbors are trying to sell their houses - 
     and most of the "lookers" seem to share an element of anal retention.  
     And there haven't been any offers made.  (Don't really think I'm to 
     blame - they have these houses priced higher than a kite - trying to 
     attract fleeing Californicators with bucks!) So relationships are 
     deteriorating pretty fast.  Was still welcome at neighborhood Xmas 
     party Friday night.  Hope I'm still welcome at the Super Bowl party in 
     January!
     
     I have my eye on a '74 camper sans engine that's available for a 
     reasonable price.  Maybe that will finish pissing 'em off.  If not, 
     two old army buddies from back east are due to spend a few weeks here 
     this summer with their Harleys.  Someone has to provide appropriate 
     influences for the teenagers in this neighborhood.  It might as well 
     be me!
     
     Keep smiling! 
     
     Leonard Jones