So my car sat for the last week and until last night I hadn't gotten anything else done on it. Fine. Sue me.

Last night my buddy Jeff and I went to see my friend Jim Neal. He let us drive his '64 Monza vert. It's a true Michigan car, and could use new rockers. With the top down I was surprised at how quiet the car was at speed. My pickup with the windows down makes more noise. I have always been a confirmed late guy, but I could really get used to a little convertible bathtub....

Naw, I'd rather have a Corsa droptop. Must've been another one of my lapses.

Anyway, thus inspired, we returned to the Witte ranch to spray paint the engine compartment.

Here's a couple of before pictures:

Here's a couple after pictures:

Not much to say, except that I am capable of taking a spray bomb, pointing it in the proper direction, and pressing down the little nozzle thing on the top.

Jeff was a little miffed that I put the picture of him with the toucan nose in my last "Legends" e-mail, so like a big boy, I accept my punishment:

A more dignified shot of me, with custom racing helmet (Schnell '25):

My barn is pretty crowded so right now my '63 Olds, which is in need of paint, has been serving as a table on which to put all the Vair parts.

'63 Olds table:

I think there are a few more spots that need paint, so my plan is to let this cure for a few days, buy a couple more cans of paint, scuff the whole thing with 400 wet/dry, and shoot one more coat. It ain't gonna be perfect, but to get to that point I think I would have to media blast the whole engine compartment and with a fresh paint job on the car I just don't want to go there. As Sheryl Crow says, "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got," and she should know because she's a rock star, and really cute.

Pat Delaney says my motor might be done next week (as he said last week and the week before that), so maybe I should accelerate the pace of work here. I am hoping to get some serious work done Sunday, no doubt inspired by what I expect to see in Plymouth on Saturday.

Gonna soak up the sun while it's still free.

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Back to Part 1.

On to Part 3.

All images and text copyright Norman C. Witte 2002.