Well, the move to Washington state is nearing completion and with PLEANTY of hitches!
Before starting off, U-Haul was kind enough to relieve my wallet of nearly $600.00 just to connect and rent a 2-wheel dolly for towing the Camaro.
Finally starting off the trip, I disconnected the drive shaft of the Sport Coupe to prevent damaging the transmission since it was going to be towed.
After carefully wiring it up to the torque arm to prevent it from falling and from hitting the differential, WE WERE SET!
That was until we pulled onto the highway not even 1/2-mile from the old house and as I was picking up speed to the local speed limit, I just happened to glance into the rearview mirror...neat...someone lost a drive shaft...OOPS!
After nearly 20 minutes I had managed to get the drive shaft, shove it into a carefully created niche in the personal belongings already stuffed into the car-in-tow, and just to be careful, I looked down at the torque arm. It was fine...BUT the exhaust system wasn’t fairing so well. It managed to separate as the drive shaft WHIPPED past it I guess. INSERT 20 MORE MINUTES and 2 combat-boot strings into the equation (for holding the exhaust) and we were finally on our way again.
The Chevy Astro van towing the 3750+ pounds of car and junk (maybe just JUNK) still managed to knock out almost 15MPG for the entire trip and never even hit 200F on the gauge EVEN going up the mountain passes!
The rest of the trip (GRAND TOTAL 2105 miles) was uneventful considering the wife didn't like towing the car and it restricted our reverse operations drastically!
As expected when we got to Washington, I replaced the U-joint and tested my alternator, which I was fearing, might need replacing.
$93.67 handed over to Westbay Auto and I was set...until I realized, in my frantic rush to complete the project in Iowa, myself and MYZ(Mean Yellow Z) decided the alternator was needing some wire-trimming. OOPS!
That little problem still exists, BUT I picked up a new battery charger.
2 days ago I finally got my head lights and turn signals working properly.
Amazing how when you add grounds to the lighting system it will work properly(include remove shorts between the headlight and turnsignal systems).
Also 2 days ago, I finally got around to wiring in the electric lumbar seats scored from earlier endeavors (for free) from the donor 87 GTA...the headrest alone has 6 adjustments! . Those are VERY COOL!
And again 2 days ago, I got around to wiring up that nifty light which was built into my 84' hood to work. I simply put a switch on the wheelwell and when I open the hood, I hit the toggle for light.
While touring the local parts yard(JUNKYARD for you friends) for that proper wire for my alternator, my 2 year old daughter Alexandria and I came across an overhead console for the 3rdgens !!!SCORE!!! $10 later and I was homeward bound. Installing that overhead console wasn't too difficult considering the GM engineers must love us. The holes for mounting were already there!
An earlier trip to the yards a few months back also netted me a mirror w/the maplights built in for $5. So installing that at the same time was a breeze!
Also forgotten in the mad rush to complete the beat down car for the trip here, the wiring for the fan was lost somewhere. Not to fear. I've thrown together a switch and connection combo and now control the fan from the center console right next to the OverDrive logo on the shifter.

Summing up the work lately:
Drive shaft repaired, reinstalled and tested SAT!
Lighting systems (headlight -turn signal -interior/mirror -interior/overhead -engine compartment) corrected/installed and tested SAT!
Fuel system (filter) cleaned and reinstalled SAT!
Seating system installed and tested SAT!
Cooling system corrected/installed and tested SAT!
Exhaust system corrected and tested SAT!
Charging system installed and tested UNSAT
Feel free to add any comments, complaints, bitches, gripes, moans or praise and what the hey....drop me a line

------------------
Duffster (age 31)
BEAT DOWN HARD 88' Camaro Sport Coupe,
1978 Caprice Classic 305 motor havin'(WITH NO COMPUTER),84' 700R4 Tranny usin', 84' Z-28 Nose clip wearin',
84' Z-28 Hood covered,
AND THE TIRES:
245/60-16 Firehawk SS20 on Firbird rim(1-passenger rear),
235/55-15 BF Goodrich's on CompTA's on Z28 rims(2-on front),
235/60-16 Pirelli P600 w/a curb check or 3 also on Firebird rim(1-drivers rear),
REAR HATCH MASTER OF ALL!!!
Duffster_Camaro@HOTMAIL.COM
Owner of the Camaro 0 out of 10 Third-genners approve of, no longer part of the non-existent Iowa crew.

 

glad to see you survived the trip duff. hope all is well with you and yours. in the future if you wish to post non tech please go to www.nethirdgen.org