applevette

Well, my mechanic finished my car. It now has a new aluminum radiator, a new front right caliper, a couple little fixes here and there and all was good. The car ran great. I flew out to get it... Atlanta to Grand Junction Colorado.

Drove the thing back, and man did it run like a champ those first two nights... seemed to run a bit on the cool side, but otherwise ok. On the last leg of the trip the car had to run during the day, and that's when things started to get hot. Perhaps a thermostat problem?

Fiddled around with it a day later, and it poured coolant just fine out of the top hose. Still no pressure though. Got a new radiator cap, and the system began to look operable again. Man does that tranny tunnel get hot though.

Tonight however, I decide on a whim to run out to the store. I ended up walking two miles back home. The car was running just fine, then all of a sudden the was a clunck (not very loud) from the engine, the battery light flashed on (and just as quickly blinked out), and there was a distinct odor of burned electronics seeping in from the passenger side engine compartment. Luckily there was no fire, but now there is absolutely no power in the car.

I don't really know what to do at this point. I do know that the some of the wiring looks like crap under the hood, and I do know that the computer on the 81's can crap out as well. Do you think that it is worth a new wiring harness, computer and all the little electronic tomfoolery that the epa put in my car. Or should I just go computerless (qjet and vacume distributor) and replace the wiring that I come across on the way (wich will no doubt be more straight forward without all the fluff). Yes there is a visual inspection of emissions equipment in GA, but you could dress up stuff to look like emissions equipment, who cares as long as you still pass the sniffer.

Sorry for going on and on, but I needed to vent, and who better than my vette brethern to do it to.