A welcome chill

The last couple of months have been hot, hot, humid and dry--I haven't updated the blog because it simply hasn't been great weather for working on a car outdoors--and I haven't done much.  Gertrude is nothing if not forgiving, and continues to get me there and back with no issues.  I have put nearly 5,000 miles on her since Leap Day and her performance has been consistent for the past couple of months.

Back in late June, I flushed and filled Gertrude's cooling system, since I didn't know when that had last been done.  Nothing but clean fluid came out, so it must have been done by the previous owner in the not-too-distant past.  I also replaced the lower radiator hose, managing to salvage an original hose clamp (I can see why they changed the design).  I changed the transmission fluid and filter as well, managing to get most of the fluid on Sam's driveway and on myself rather than in the pan.  It was one of those triumphantly oily experiences which ended up with me substituting household degreaser for shampoo.

For those of you who may not know, I am not a redhead.

I'd like to change the fluid in the pumpkin (rear-end gearbox) and work on the carburetor next, as well as upgrading the suspension all around.  I've decided to go with all new coil springs, as that is likely the cause of Gertrude's unevenly droopy posture.  Poor gal looks like she's had a stroke.  While I'm going to the trouble of replacing the springs, I think I'll give her just a bit of a body lift, too.  I'm hoping for more nice days like the one we had today; it's always so nice to go work on your vehicle when the weather is pleasant.

Today I removed Gertie's broken grille, took it inside and washed it, and am in the process of gluing the pieces back together.  Someone attempted this already, albeit in a slipshod manner, and half the work is undoing the bad repair.  In the meantime, Gertrude looks like an old lady with her dentures out, reminding me again of the hapless high-school Fairmont.

New grilles are available on eBay, but I'd like to do my best to fix this one rather than spend upwards of $100 on a piece of decorative plastic.  Speaking of decorative plastic, I've also ordered the rear "Fairmont" badge from Australia.  Although the logos look the same, the Fairmont was a muscle car there; I wonder how the seller would react, finding out that the badge will be going on a boxy, economical grocery-go-getter.

A fellow on a racing motorcycle gave me a thumbs-up as he overtook me on the Interstate today.  It's not unusual for Gertrude to elicit attention, but it always makes me feel a bit proud when the approval comes from someone with a lot of "coolth," like today's motorcyclist, or the handsome man on a skateboard who commented "cool vintage wagon" last spring.  I am plainly surprised at the number of people who fondly remember the Ford Fairmont, for all the flak it gets for being underpowered (I have calculated Gertrude's power-to-weight ratio at something like .028) and understyled, it's nice to know that I'm not the only person in the world who appreciates this little gem of a car.

After all...

From www.zazzle.com--and available for purchase on T-shirts, coffee mugs, and bumper stickers,  no less!