This Is Not An Illusion

The car really is that small. It's noisy. It rides bad. It rattles. It costs $16 to fill it up. And so far, it's getting better gas mileage than most hybrids.

What you are looking at is a 1982 Toyota Corolla. This is old-school from Toyota. The engine block and head are cast iron. There are no overhead cams, only lifters (solid ones) pushrods and rocker arms. There is no fuel injection. It is rear-wheel drive, unheard of in a small car, even a small sports car, made today.

Another Night in the Mud

Here is a pic just after we got home. The Trooper did very well, embarassing a Dakota and doing as well or better than a Cherokee. And fortunately, it was the only one of the three that didn't need either repair (The cherokee needed an alternator) or making alarming strange noises.

Bug of the Week

We have here another grasshopper. He's in the Tulsa warehouse. He's also trying to steal my dollar that I put down to show his size.

Puppy Pictures

Here are some much-requested puppy pictures. For those who don't know, she is a mix between a Catahoula Cur and an American Pit Bull. She's playful, and when she's awake, she's normally quiet. Oddly enough she makes more noise when sleeping.

The Isuzu Lives

Fired her up at about 7:00 pm yesterday. Much smoother idle than before. Was idling fast in this video, but it's fixed now. This is the first startup attempt, to everyone's surprise it roared to life.