slomove

I would say that John Christensen is on the right path (box-wise) but not entirely there yet. Think a slightly bigger box.... Gert

You got to think outside the box.....(literally) No, it is not Caterpillar Yellow or DeWalt Yellow, either.

Now that is funny, the forum software removed my directly linked picture. I put it in again, let's see if it sticks. ..........Hmm, no it does not. I can not link to a picture here, you have to use to use the Picasa link above. Otherwise I begin to wonder if this should better be under "Off Topic". Gert

In the paint job thread I challenged you guys to guess the vehicle this paint code was borrowed from. Some good guesses so far (without even seeing the pictures) but nevertheless not correct. Remember the correct answer will win you an 8-hour passenger trip up and down the Angeles Forest Canyons (repeat: accommodation and airfare NOT included) Now here it is ....and no, it is not School Bus Yellow and it is not Taxi Cab Yellow nor is it Mazda Competition yellow. More pictures herehttp://lh3.ggpht.com/_242PlvPtVpE/SnjzsCdeMlI/AAAAAAAAAbE/Jy2Jr66wNK4/s1024/P8040070.JPGhttp://lh3.ggpht.com/_242PlvPtVpE/SnjzsCdeMlI/AAAAAAAAAbE/Jy2Jr66wNK4/s1024/P8040070.JPG%5Dresult http://lh3.ggpht.com/_242PlvPtVpE/SnjzsCdeMlI/AAAAAAAAAbE/Jy2Jr66wNK4/s1024/P8040070.JPG

I still agree (see my notes of last November). But the initial app collection madness has cooled down a lot. From the 50+ apps that I installed over the first few weeks (all utilities, I am not a fan of games) I am using regularly maybe 5 and another 5 infrequently. It took our IT guys a few months to finally synchronize with our company Outlook server but since that is working it makes the iPhone worthwhile in itself. After all, I find it one of the really useful gadgets and a decent phone. I would not want to give it up. Gert

Oh well, I would take one..... Not sure if I really like the eyelids over the headlights. And it looks like they borrowed a few ideas from the '89 Ferrari Testa concept by Luigi Colani? Only 20 years old....

Interesting....makes some sense. Less vacuum in the cockpit makes for less turbulence. But I am surprised that such a small hole should make a difference. But who knows. It did cross my mind mounting the windscreen so that there is maybe a 1" gap between the screen and the scuttle. But never got around to trying that. I would also not appreciate having a stripe of dead bugs on my shirt. Gert

I would like to come out but something is missing from my Birkin....

Some more pictures of the second half of the trip now included here . Really too bad that it is over now.. Gert P.S.: Skip, good to hear you are getting you Seven back together!

Very nice yellow! That would have been another good choice. Actually I have the parts already with the painter and can pick up Wednesday. But the chosen color is still from a different (if a bit unlikely) vehicle. The paint shop guy told me that many of the high intensity yellow paints anyway come out essentially to the the same pigment recipe. Gert

If used for non-profit research purposes it should qualify as "fair-use" ? Oh well, maybe a bit far-fetched.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/images/ani-zip.gif

Why is everybody jumping the gun? Wait till you see it No correct answer so far, anyway.... Gert

Thanks for the tip. But I am not that perverse (apologies to all wineberry colored Se7en owners and yes, you are that perverse...) I will still have it painted yellow. Maybe I am going to post it anyway (nice or not) when done and let you guys guess from which car it is borrowed. The winner will get an 8-hour passenger ride for the local mountains (airfare and hotel not included) :smilielol5: Gert P.S.: Thanks for the reference Martin. But I issued the work order to a local shop today because I need to get it done by mid of next week....

Thanks guys, that gives me an idea....after all NZ isn't that much different at about $560 after conversion. I have been looking around in the LA area with estimates from $500 from the more grungy shops to $900 from bigger outfits. After all, more expensive than I thought. But I went for a place close by that can do the job without wait for $750. They use DuPont car paint (I hope that speaks for quality?) mixed with their own computer equipment with 3 layers paint and 2-3 layers clear. After all I decided against the Mazda Competition Yellow. It is indeed a hue of too much orange to me. I think MoPho can not be trusted in that regard because his own car has burned out the orange receptor cells on his retina . But I did not go for the old Mazda Vivid Yellow either. Once the job is done and it looks good I will reveal the color. And if it does not look good I will just wait a while until nobody remembers and claim I got the car that way. Gert

I am considering having the nosecone and wings newly painted (look like crap after many road trips). What $ should I expect for a quality job (strip/sand, fill, good paint) if all the parts are removed, no masking required. Mind, this is California....... Thanks, Gert P.S.: How about Mazda MX5 '09 Competition Yellow?

Hello Skip, sorry about the mess but on the positive side, without the broken hanger you may have noticed the other damage later and with more serious consequences. Well, at least an attempt to rationalize it..... Gert

Yes you can :hurray: CVC 27400 (d)

That should get them some police recruits... Sorry text is German, but you get the point.

On that long Rocky Mountains trip I just returned from I had some alternator trouble. Sometimes the battery charge voltage was about right at 14 to 14.5 Volts. But quite often the voltage started oscillating (about 2 times per second) between 14.5 and 16 Volts, with the result of flickering headlights and a serious concern that the battery might get cooked. That kept going until the engine was turned off and started again. I never heard about such an oscillation but suspect a dodgy alternator regulator. I checked all the leads and ground and can not find a problem there. This is one of the Geo Metro alternators, but not the old model with the main charge lead on the side post but the newer bigger model with the post out of the rear. Any opinion? Thanks, Gert

Isn't it? Looking up the tire wear pattern guides it would indicate bad under-inflation and/or too much camber (i.e. axle overload). I had them inflated to 47 psi (nominal load pressure is 50 psi). But the new smaller radials after 600 miles don't show a beginning of that pattern. I have a torsion axle (loaded to some 80% of rated capacity) and AFAIK there is nothing to align with that thing. Gert

Hi guys, good to see y'all made it home safely and it was a real pleasure meeting you up there! This was a fantastic trip and I will post more pics and some video soon (including Mr. Bullwinkle Moose crossing in front of my Seven). Motivated by Bill and Chris, we did the haul back from SLC in one piece. Went quite well except that the trailer tires crapped out. Fortunately we caught that before they blew (honestly it was rather the owner of the local tire shop who was scanning the tires of all the cars at the gas station.....). Should not have happened because they were only loaded to 80% of their rating. But they were very rare low profile 14" bias ply trailer tires with only some 2000 miles and maybe just crap. The tire shop replaced them with regular 13" radial trailer tires (unfortunately 120% of rated load) and they held up just fine. Not sure yet if to keep them or increase the wheel well and go to regular 14" wheels. Otherwise no major problems with the Seven. I will take the moody alternator to a rebuild shop and check out the battery switch solenoid, tighten all bolts again and maybe replace the rattling panhard ball joints. Otherwise just spend some quality time with the pressure washer to clean out the insect cemetery in the engine compartment and other road inflicted dirt. Once again thanks to everybody who met with us!!! Gert

Funny enough, on our Rocky Mountains tour the headlights did not work anymore, either. 30 amp fuse blown....I bypassed the high beam toggle relay and put in a new fuse, let's see how it goes for the rest of the tour. Maybe related or not, the battery charge voltage is at times really high, some 15 to 16 Volts. Not sure if that will cook my Odyssey battery.... Well, off to Cody tomorrow and meet with Al and Skip. Gert

Nice day in Steamboat Springs and no Thunderstorm for 2 days! Otherwise just fantastic scenery and nice roads. Not crowded at all (except around Steamboat Springs) and a good mix of curves and straights. There is no real motivation to drive fast, though. It would be a shame to buzz through and not soak it up. Cars are running just fine (knock on wood). I had to adjust the ECU baro compensation (was running quite rich at 7000-9000 ft) and going up to 12,000 ft tomorrow it better be right. Bill's Superstalker had some coolant constipation but so far not serious. Some more pics. Gert

No, I would not do that............ http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MTDSLrx_KZo_6AIfLTHDEQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCNCjifDNrIrPWQ&feat=directlink But you can find some here Gert