Saturday, September 26
Because the deli I found yesterday isn’t open on the weekend, I’m back to the choice between the overpriced bagel at Starbucks and the one that’s a few cents cheaper down the street. Although I should probably take the walk and get a few steps in, I elected for the Starbucks bagel. Bagel (toasted) plus cream cheese plus tax works out to $4.60. I gave the cashier a $5 bill. She rummaged through her change drawer, closely inspected a coin or two, then gave me a nickel and smiled.
“You said it’s $4.60. I gave you a five, but you only gave me a nickel back!”
She fished around in her drawer some more, handed me three more nickels, and said, “We’re out of coins.” Really?
Yesterday, when I told Ryan the symptoms and that we’d done a recent engine swap came up with a few possibilities. One was that maybe we had a poor ground. That would explain why the misfire progressively got worse, and why replacing the plugs and coils didn’t fix it. If that is it, it’ll be an easy fix. Maybe I wouldn’t have to fly home after all.
In early afternoon, I was in the parking lot chatting with a couple who were wondering about all the cars when I spotted Ryan heading my way with Dave, his boss, and the other Lotus USA tech. These are the experts that the dealers go to when they have issues.
Dave is a funny guy. Every time somebody says they’ve modified their cars, Dave asks for their VIN. He takes one look at my car and says, “I see what the problem is. He has an aftermarket diffuser!”
It only took Ryan a few minutes to discover that one of the new ignition coils Michael and I installed a couple of weeks ago is messed up. It’s missing its boot, and it has some witness marks on it. Clearly not a new part. Three came in one kind of box, the fourth in a slightly different one. It must have been the one in the oddball box: a returned item that got shipped out as new. I’m surprised we didn’t spot it when we installed it. I don’t know how we both missed it; the missing boot is pretty obvious.
I called the nearest Advance Auto Parts. The gal I talked to said, “Sorry, but I only have one.” That’s great! I only need one! With a hotel full of Lotus peeps, it only took a few minutes to arrange a lift to the store. John kindly took me there, and after returning to the hotel, it was simple (even for me) to effect the repair.
She fired right up and idled nicely. I cleared the codes and drove a few miles. Music to my ears. I wouldn’t have to fly home, and I’d get to do the track day.
These Utah trips are emotional roller-coasters. Last year, the mysterious oil issue; this year, the misfire. They’re memorable trips, that’s for sure.
Dinner tonight was at the Natural History Museum of Utah. It’s just a couple of blocks up the hill from the hotel. I was a bit surprised that so many people drove. We filled the parking lot, but we could have filled it three times.
We had an hour to explore the exhibits before dinner. It’s not a large museum, maybe only a sixth the size of the Denver museum. It’s mostly dinosaurs. It’s packed with dinosaurs. You walk among them, under them, over them. They menace with open jaws, all pointy teeth and big claws.
I am such a child. There’s a little demonstration of a seismograph. On the floor is a painted box: “Jump!”. On the wall is a display. I jumped, and jumped harder a second time. I “pegged” the needle. A minute later, two people were trying it out, stomping one foot instead of jumping. “No, no, no. Here’s how you do it,” I said, and took a running leap. Pegged it again. I’m such a child.
This place is just a fraction of the size of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, but I really liked the way they did the exhibits. The dioramas in the Denver museum are stodgy – very last century.
Our speaker after dinner was Robin Shute, Tony’s son. Robin is a 4-time Pikes Peak Hill Climb winner. He’s a bit of a unicorn – he didn’t just drive the car; he designed it. Like his father, he’s soft-spoken, and I missed a little of what he said. Quite the accomplished guy.
