Re: Help 'ol Thompson out - kinda long

["Thompson Smith" <thompers@together.net>]

>Bob D'Amato wrote:

>Mr Smith!!!
>Wassup with you?

  Well, since you asked... All is well with the family, but...

It all started on Aug 31, with the annual VT inspection on the '89 200
RENNWGN. Turned out that all I needed was a pass. tie-rod end. OK, no big
deal. Two days after inspection and installation of the tie-rod I took the
wagon into Lewis motors (factory) for an alignment. Here is what they
said..."We're sorry Thompson, but your WHOLE suspension is all shot ta' h*ll
and we cannot properly align it..." The wagon has 172K on it. Bushings must
be like marshmellows huh? Oh well, chock it up to high mileage.

About six months ago I bought an Eibach ProKit for the type44 for $200. New
in-the-box. So, I got to thinking. Let's just redo the whole darn
suspension. One call to my 'ol buddies Ken and Andrew Bennett took care of
the parts list. I had them ship me a complete SPAX externaly (fr & rear
dampening & rear height) adjustable setup, fr strut bearings, and fr & rear
top bushings. I picked up two new fr lower control arms and ALL lower
control arm bushings as well. I'm ready now.

Since I worked at Generation Performance/Vermont SportsCar it was a natural
to say to Donna, "honey I'm just taking the wagon into the shop to get the
'tugboat feeling' fixed as she always said..."  Heck, my work was the shop.
The morning I took the wagon in, I brain faded and forgot to put it in gear
and just used the E-brake... duhhhOOoooo! It rolled into a drainage ditch,
tore off the alternator belt, and my newly installed lower front '80s 5KS
vintage spoilerettes got trashed! I had to get it towed out with one of the
guys trucks from work. The rear diff button failed to work, only one front
tire spun...??? (this must have triggered the AudiGods - "AG") Anyway, VSC
performed the suspension swap. Now I can finally get the wagon aligned!!! 

With my SPAX setup, Eibach ProKit and ET40 rear/ET35 fr 7x15 MSW five spoke
rims -- I now have ONE H*LL'of a FAT slammed wagon! It rides very nice. This
could also be that I am running on OEM size 205/60-15 tires. But it really
is smooth and controlled. Not anything like I was expecting. Now that I have
about two weeks of driving on it... the saga continues...

I have always had a bag "squealin' like a pig" rear main seal. It started
happening after I replaced all the upper hoses. Drove me nuts. Sometimes it
would suck air in and after a good hard braking would go away (crankshaft
would move a bit, shifting position on seal). This also contributed to a
weird idle, because of the additional sucked in air, typ. 10v MC turbo high
mileage thing. (check out IA's web page for notes on this) Anyway, the guys
at the shop thought I was nuts. "air sucking in on a rear main seal,
Thompson your wierd". I wanted soooo bad to prove them wrong, but couldn't
justify shelling out $$$ for a 016 tranny r/r just to shut them up. Well,
one week ago Thurs night, my clutch/throwout bearing started making noises
from above ("AG" getting me BIG time for the ditch..!). So I had to leave it
at the shop once again - out of commision. Turned out the clutch could have
gone at least another 40K but the throwout bearing and pilot bearing were
toast. They resurfaced the flywheel and waited for parts. These were delayed
until this last Mon. of course (clutch kit, new collar, pilot bearing, rear
main seal $460). So it sat in the shop over the weekend with the 016 hanging
out of it, front halfshafts and rims off. 

I came into work on Mon. 5th to find out that I didn't have a full-time job
anymore. Woah!  And that, "I had to get everything that was mine out of the
building asap before it was locked up" This included my wagon hangin' out on
the lift!  Holy Sh*t!  Immediate action had a flatbed wrecker over in
minutes as the mechanics helped load the 016'less wagon. Man does the OEM
exhaust weigh a ton! Office contents and Mac G3 system were next. Man does
the 20v sedan hold alot!  I Had the wagon towed to another shop
(Autohaus/Dave's Automotive) where I met Phil and Judy Rose that day too -
just returning from the Kank' run. Nice couple.

Since one mechanic took it apart, and another reassembled, something wasn't
right when I got into it to drive away. The gear lever throw was VERY
excessive. Hmmm, I have been driving the 20v for awhile and that trans. is
different. Maybe it's ok. Oh well, I drove it home and it shifted fine....
for awhile.

Turned out the VSC mechanic loosened the shifting arm on the 016 gear
selector shaft, to help get it out, and the other mechanic never checked it!
This made the small other arm (the one that attaches to the top and the gear
selector) pop off too! Felt like pudding when trying to shift. I ended up
re-tightening the gear selector arm on the 016 at home and popping on the
small other arm. What a bit*h reaching over the back of the engine and onto
the top of the 016!
 
Anywho, long story short - wagon is fixed and I am now working at home
full-time, illustrating and designing once again. My website is going to be
totally redone. Look forward to seeing really special Christmas merchandise;
more note pad illustrations and NEW greeting cards from "Thompson Smith"

I didnt see you this morning... very dissapointed!!!

  See me where...?
>Did you get the stuff from royal?
  No, I have not yet received this. Royal did say that it was available to
get at IDX in Burlington. I will be in that part of town today at 3pm and
might have time to stop by.

Regards, Thompson-