IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

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Amskeptic
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IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:58 pm

Not a cloud in the sky ... well, not a water vapor cloud any way:
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Here it is from 22 miles away, north of Vacaville CA on I-505:
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Here it is from maybe a mile. So what on Earth is it?

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It was a minor stack of plastic crates fire in a manufacturing lot in Fairfield California that could be seen from space, according to the local evening news.
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The blackness of the cloud was spooky. It was dark enough to cool the day and drop my CHTs too. The sky was looking like some asteroid movie, very disconcerting.
Plastics. :pale:


So, then I drove to Cloverdale, CA to meet Stan, the owner of an orange Westy that has been in the family since it was picked up in Europe, new. It only has 86,000 miles and a complete dual carb engine missing only the air pump, it adjusted up beautifully. I am so jealous. Beautiful original car. Then I crashed Ritter's house, but he was not home:
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Drove back to Sacramento to enjoy a Mexican dinner with SG Kent. Oh, and crack my new windshield because of a spewing gravel truck. I followed the truck to its stable. The driver was surprised as hell. "Why are you chasing me?" "I couldn't see your truck number".
His insurance company is playing a little phone tag, but hey, I got the photograph of his truck spewing gravel all over I-80 :pirate:
That makes two insurance companies I am working with at the same time to cover damage to the BobD. I didn't tell you about the 17 year-old girl who just backed into and clonged the rear bumper in Battleground Washington ... folks? watch out for your fellow motorists, distraction is only getting worse.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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IFBwax
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Re: IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by IFBwax » Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:03 pm

God I hate gravel trucks!!!!
The best navigators aren't sure where they're going until they get there. And then they're still not sure.

Frank Bama

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RSorak 71Westy
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Re: IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by RSorak 71Westy » Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:24 pm

Ah yes if you look at Bobd's rear bumper it looks tweaked down.
Take care,
Rick
Stock 1600 w/dual Solex 34's and header. mildly ported heads and EMPI elephant's feet. SVDA W/pertronix. 73 Thing has been sold. BTW I am a pro wrench have been fixing cars for living for over 30 yrs.

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Bleyseng
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Re: IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by Bleyseng » Sat Jul 30, 2011 7:12 am

How many rocks bounced off the nose making chips that rust so quickly? Did the gravel trucks have its load covered? Did they clean the outside of rocks? (probably not! as most are too lazy!)
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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static
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Re: IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by static » Sat Jul 30, 2011 10:43 am

There is no law in this State that gravel trucks need to cover their loads. (Thank the campaign contributions to Willie Brown for that one)

Also, if you see a rock coming at you from a truck in front of you, it is important that you state that the rock did not bounce off of the ground beforehand. It hit directly.

Yes, it sucks.

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static
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Re: IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by static » Sat Jul 30, 2011 10:44 am

Oh, and if you are ever in the Bay Area again, there are people such as myself and pjalau who would also like to see you.

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BumbleBus
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Re: IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by BumbleBus » Sat Jul 30, 2011 11:16 am

Amskeptic wrote:watch out for your fellow motorists, distraction is only getting worse.
No joke.. I drove 25 miles yesterday... 25... and almost got clobbered three times including a late-getting-home-angry worker in a huge truck that turned right in front of me. No wonder I don't go anywhere anymore. :rabbit:
'72 Sierra Yellow Campmobile

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

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sped372
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Re: IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by sped372 » Sat Jul 30, 2011 11:27 am

For whatever reason this year seems to be the worst I can ever remember as far as inattentive motorists. We've been nearly killed on every trip this year. I'd say 7 or 8 close calls already... being passed in no-passing zones, almost a head on with someone obviously texting, someone careening around a line of cars stopped by a construction zone flagger, I can't believe the stupidity we've witnessed. Its truly frightening out there. Defensive driving is not optional.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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Amskeptic
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Re: IAC Not a Cloud In The Sky!

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:04 pm

sped372 wrote:For whatever reason this year seems to be the worst I can ever remember as far as inattentive motorists.
I agree. I am becoming a spooked old nag.

You should have heard that girl's father. She called mommy and daddy while I was taking down her information, man, they both arrived in no time.

He lights into me, "You scared my daughter! She said you were yelling at her!"
I asked her to recount exactly what I said to her.
"You, you, um said, you said, 'What, you couldn't see my big green and white bus filling your rear view mirror?' and 'I need your license and insurance card... but you said it so angry."
"What kind of pussy are you to yell at a teenage girl? You New Yorkers think you're so tough. You like making little girls cry?"
That was enough as far as I was concerned. "She only started crying when you showed up, out of relief that you were here, of course she is upset."

The mom is dripping scorn, "It's just a stupid old Volkswagen with a barely dinged up bumper, I don't see what your problem is."
"My problem is that your daughter was distracted enough to not even see my stupid old Volkswagen, next time might be a head-on with a truck that she didn't see."

Eventually, mom and daughter drove off and dad and I had a chat about my head-on in Colorado two summers ago and the dangers of teenage daughters driving distracted. He shook my hand and got into his old Nissan pick-up with the lawn mower in back.

Their insurance company settled with me in Sacramento California at the local Honda dealership. "No way we're going to straighten that," said the appraiser. You'll have to get a new one. Ahhh, no.
Colin

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BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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