Re: alfa-digest V8 #705

[dlou <dlou@domain.elided>]

>Date: Mon, 06 May 2002 22:36:23 -0400
>From: Dana Loomis <dloomis@domain.elided>
>Subject: re: tow rigs
>
>Scott Fisher <sfisher71@domain.elided> wrote:
>>And that's really the advice -- don't put together a
>>marginal rig if you can afford to put together an
>>adequate one.  And if you can afford overkill... it's
>>really, really nice if you can justify it to yourself.

Having towed a 5.7l tri-hull with a 2.4l Nissan 4x4,
I'll mirror the same advice.


>Passions are personal, but, although my first car was a '61 Ford F-100 and
>I've lived with trucks for must of my adult life, they don't kindle my
>desire.   Trucks are tools to get a job done and little more.   The one I
>have now is quite nice, with comfortable seating for 4, air conditioning, a
>good sound system and cupholders, in addition to the ability to tow a
>trailer and haul big, heavy, dirty things.  But I don't enjoy driving it
>and don't work on it or even wash it myself.  When it wears out I'll get
>rid of it.  

Trucks are definitely tools, but like most of my other tools, I severely
miss them once they are gone.  When I did a planned non-operation on mine,
a 1001 and one uses came up.  Renting a cherry picker for the engine 
rebuild won't seem so bad, free/cheap Alfas will start popping up
and great deals on 24v 3.0l V6's will surely come your way.  Race day
will probably not be the only day you use the truck.  Just make sure
you get one you don't have to put much thought into.  Tools are meant
to help you perform maintenance, not require (much) maintenance themselves.
The only washing of my truck I've ever done is hosing down the saltwater
from the flanks or mud from the fenderwells in order to avoid rust.

Also like other tools, it's even better if you can convince your best
friend to buy one and then borrow his whenever you need it :-)

-Dennis
Sunnyvale, CA
'85 Alfa  GTV6, white
'85 Nissan 4x4, white
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