Buggy Reflections
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:01 am
The buggy recorded over 7,000 miles recently and during that time it's gone through a few changes. Some obvious, some not so much. Since starting this build in 2003 I continually enjoy my car and I really think that pleasure increases with each day.
For a period of over a year the buggy was a daily driver. During winter and summer I drove it around town and even made it on a few buggy runs. It's cold in December and hot in July. Doesn't really matter though. Somehow when I'm driving the buggy the weather and temps doesn't seem to affect me much.
This year, however, I've had the buggy in the garage since the Manx Club event in Mammoth Lakes. I've started it occasionally to warm it up, get the gas flowing through the carbs, and keep the battery charged. Driving it was not necessarily a priority as the rains have come a bit more and while I have driven the buggy in more brutal conditions (think Clear Lake) it isn't really something I look forward to. I intended to use the down time this winter to make some necessary and even critical changes and improvements to the car. Heck, when I first started driving it in 2006 I never really got it to the point where I thought it was finished. There are things I still need to do to bring it to a more completed state. Unfortunately I miscalculated the actual time I would have to spend on the car this winter and the buggy got neglected somewhat until about two weeks ago.
I'm not sure what happened but lately I have felt more and more the need to pay attention to my little blue car. One evening I sat at my work bench and looked at the car. I grabbed a piece of paper and started to write down all the things I wanted to do. By the time I was finished writing, I've added a few things since, I had filled the entire paper. This week I addressed one item, "Lower the rear suspension", and crossed it off the list. I've got a long way to go but it feels good to work on the buggy again.
As a result of this recent work I have been driving the car a bit and it has been an absolute blast. I've shaken off the winter cobwebs and it feels great. This buggy is unexpected therapy. I've braved the cold temperatures of the morning in anticipation of beautiful afternoon drives home after work. I've driven in the evenings regardless of the dropping temps. It's funny, I used to open the garage and stare at the choices of cars to drive and always chose the one with the heater. Tonight it was the other way around. I actually got in to one car out of habit and got out to drive my buggy. What fun!
I love my car and it feels great to be driving it again. This doesn't mean I'm going to neglect it. I have some things to address that involve safety and that takes utmost priority. The repairs and upgrades will happen but I'm planning on doing them in such a way that I won't be without my car for an extended period of time. I cant be without my buggy to drive. I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can.
For a period of over a year the buggy was a daily driver. During winter and summer I drove it around town and even made it on a few buggy runs. It's cold in December and hot in July. Doesn't really matter though. Somehow when I'm driving the buggy the weather and temps doesn't seem to affect me much.
This year, however, I've had the buggy in the garage since the Manx Club event in Mammoth Lakes. I've started it occasionally to warm it up, get the gas flowing through the carbs, and keep the battery charged. Driving it was not necessarily a priority as the rains have come a bit more and while I have driven the buggy in more brutal conditions (think Clear Lake) it isn't really something I look forward to. I intended to use the down time this winter to make some necessary and even critical changes and improvements to the car. Heck, when I first started driving it in 2006 I never really got it to the point where I thought it was finished. There are things I still need to do to bring it to a more completed state. Unfortunately I miscalculated the actual time I would have to spend on the car this winter and the buggy got neglected somewhat until about two weeks ago.
I'm not sure what happened but lately I have felt more and more the need to pay attention to my little blue car. One evening I sat at my work bench and looked at the car. I grabbed a piece of paper and started to write down all the things I wanted to do. By the time I was finished writing, I've added a few things since, I had filled the entire paper. This week I addressed one item, "Lower the rear suspension", and crossed it off the list. I've got a long way to go but it feels good to work on the buggy again.
As a result of this recent work I have been driving the car a bit and it has been an absolute blast. I've shaken off the winter cobwebs and it feels great. This buggy is unexpected therapy. I've braved the cold temperatures of the morning in anticipation of beautiful afternoon drives home after work. I've driven in the evenings regardless of the dropping temps. It's funny, I used to open the garage and stare at the choices of cars to drive and always chose the one with the heater. Tonight it was the other way around. I actually got in to one car out of habit and got out to drive my buggy. What fun!
I love my car and it feels great to be driving it again. This doesn't mean I'm going to neglect it. I have some things to address that involve safety and that takes utmost priority. The repairs and upgrades will happen but I'm planning on doing them in such a way that I won't be without my car for an extended period of time. I cant be without my buggy to drive. I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can.
