Minor Win thread - Life is good!

More win happening at The Batcave!

I remembered to bring my Fluke home from work so I could do a current draw test on the RX-7. See, when you put a Series 5 alternator in an FB, it kills the battery in three days. The problem is, the S5 wiring leaves the S terminal open when key is off, but the FB wiring grounds it, due to other items on the circuit pulling that terminal down. Grounding the S terminal on a S5 alternator causes a current leak. Verified that current draw is 8 milliamps (!) with that terminal disconnected and 150-ish mA with it connected.

Dug out my brand new Weller soldering gun, desoldered a diode from a dead piece of electronics (a '93 Mustang GT airbag module. More diodes than Marvin's left side in that thing), figured out that the stripe needed to go towards alternator, and did my first successful soldering job ever. Ever. Shrinked it, then heatshrinked a spraycan straw to the wire for extra bend-proofing. Verified that the charging system worked, and no more draw with the key off.

Well heck, it only took me three or four years to get around to putting a diode in there.

The kicker: This coincided with an alternator replacement. Replacing the alternator solved my 7200rpm hiccup. A datalog showed that at 7200, the computer thought the engine was going 12000 and it went into fuel cut. So for the first time in maybe a year, year and a half, I did a clean 5000-10000 second gear rip. And it felt good...

On July 26, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean is on TCM. I've called many things, and some people, "Low born guttersluts" over the years...

Flipped a $75 Herman Miller Aeron chair for $280 with just a cleaning.

Spoolpigeon wrote: Recently started dating a girl that I had an enormous crush on in high school (20 years ago [berk I feel old saying that]).

Im glad im not the only one. (Yes, girl from hs. Yes, 20 years ago)

Just scored a knock-off GoPro from Aldi for $40. 12mp stills, 1080p(claimed) video, butt load of mounts. I just haven't found out if regular GoPro accessories work with it.

But it makes me happy, because now I can make fancy autocross videos, splitting dashcam and this.

EDIT TO ADD: if anyone is interested, it looks like it will fit any gopro mount, just judging by pics online. Bresser is really difficult to find info on, but for $40, go grab one.

Not sure if this counts as a win but I recently picked up a side job that should cover 1 of the 2 devastating mechanic's bills I'll have coming in the next few weeks. One of those is due to astronomically bad luck though...so I guess it's along the lines of "scored a sweet deal on some wood to rebuild the house after it burned down because I left a magnifying glass in just the wrong spot"

29 years ago today I started dating the girl that would become my wife. We have spent over half our lives together, hard to believe.

I got a job today after months of searching. I was given the position because the company believes strongly in diversity and they needed another white guy. Serious.

This might be a major win, but we've signed on a house. Nothing is official until we've had the attorneys review the documents and the inspectors check out the house, but we just got some loan documentation back. Between my overestimating the PMI rate and our loan officer being able to get us a rate .25% than he originally quoted, we're saving over $200 a month from what I originally budgeted.

Just got home from my favorite place in the whole state. Green Forest Churrascaria. It's a Brazilian "steak" house. They bring all kinds of rotisserie meat around, and you flip a coaster green for more, red to stop. Pretty sure I took about 5 years off my life, I weigh 7.3 lbs more than I did before I went, definitely got the $45 it costs worth and then some. 5 kinds of filet, 2 kinds of lamb, steaks with all sorts of seasoning and different cuts, chicken, thick (1" cube) cut bacon. Meat coma time.

In reply to RevRico:

I am jealous of your pending meat coma.

My win: I was able to MacGyver E36 M3 to an unsurpassed level at the parts store tonight. Got 6 separate guys with NLA parts back on the road with odds and ends, in the process selling over a grand in parts by myself. I now hold the part time Guy shift record.

In reply to RevRico:

Meat sweats

What a difference a few hours makes! We are officially moved into our new house (at least enough to sleep tonight) that finally became official today AND our old house got a full price CASH offer, which we signed at the speed of light!

I earned my beer tonight!

Spent the day on the duster. New front end parts, and interior are in. First time it's been this complete in years.

My accomplishments for today:

2.3 mile run
100 push ups 31 pull ups

Skate session today, I nailed 2 new trick variations on skates (backside stalls and 180 out of frontside stalls, both to my weak side), made some improvements on skating backwards, and got some good tips that improved my control and stability when carving on a skateboard.

Got a surprise raise this morning.

Vacation starts today. Heading to Massachusetts in the morning so we cash in 800 Kroger points and fill the burban and passat and a 5 gallon jug for under $50. ($1.36 a gallon!!)

Go in to the store for sausages to throw on the grill and the butcher gives me three free ones "just to try". Too cool, that's what makes me a loyal customer.

Maybe it was a bit of rapid karma, Monday I stopped on a country road to move a box turtle off into the grass.

2 wins, first the most major:

Our old house just closed today. All done. Cash deal, too. Didn't make out on the deal since we weren't there long enough, but it's done and done.

Second: my 2 year old daughter just ran into the room, proclaimed "it's awesome!" And did the 2 handed fist pump. I said "it's awesome?" And she said "yeah! Awesome!" And ran out of the room. No idea what she was talking about, but I know for a fact it was awesome

Installed Windows 10 w/o a single glitch in shortly over three hours time. Could I call that a Win.

Bought a replacement tractor seat from Northern Tool, figured on a Saturday afternoon job making an adaptakit. Tape measure, the multi-hole mounting pattern w/ a couple wrenches and it was on in 15 minutes. Yay, beer time.

Last year I was struggling with the suburban. Problems with drivability, busted fuel pump, just really aggravating and was seriously considering dumping it and getting something newer.

Over the winter I fixed lots of stuff and things seem pretty good. Drove from KY to Mass Thursday and she performed perfectly. Still an old girl with 234,000 miles on her but things seem solid and more confidence inspiring.

Duster is back on the ground on all new Suspension!

On vacation. Went fishing with my daughter and we were pulling bass and perch out like they were trying to get I our boat.

Drifts with in about fifty feet of a loon at the same time an fantastic sunset was happening.

A great way to end the first day of vacation.

I got my first win at a national event this weekend!!!!

Spoolpigeon wrote: I got my first win at a national event this weekend!!!!

In a borrowed car even!! Good job man

Installed an exhaust on my friend Marissa's car;

Got to finally use this tool that was recommended on these forums;

Made it a cakewalk!

Car sounds mean. Got a ride in it, very nice, love the cluster.