I've now owned #2196 for a year (Hagerty just came knocking), and due to all the rain we've had in the Middle West this year, it didn't come out of hibernation until our Cars & Coffee event in April.

I drive the car to work a couple times a month (weather permitting), and in mid-May, started having a hung starter solenoid every so often. The first time it happened, the starter hung in the engaged position after starting the engine, which caused a bit of consternation as I scrambled for a wrench to pull the battery terminal before something fried! After having to whack the solenoid a couple times to get started, it finally died for good at work, where obliging coworkers gave me a push start so I could get home.

AutoZone had the replacement part on the shelf, and I thought, "an hour, tops," to replace it. Unfortunately, one of the small bolts rounded off, necessitating pulling the whole starter (which necessitated removing the air filter from the Webers). The bolt head was too far gone even for vice grips, so out came the Mig welder and a spare nut on top of the remains of the bolt head. Five minutes later, it was off.

In the process of replacing the starter, I noticed the Webers moved a bit when I was tugging the air filter housing off, and investigation revealed six of the eight nuts holding them to the manifold were loose, so they got tightened up. I also installed a battery cut-out. The car now starts much easier!

Finally, I took the car to a local muffler shop and had him fab up a copy of a 1975 dual exhaust tip to replace the 'Trans Am' style tip that was on the car when I bought it. Now that the exhaust is directed out the side, it actually sounds nicer and isn't as droney.

I'm looking forward to my first autox with the car in a couple weeks.

es