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could do repairs on the drive back.  It is interesting how many questions you get from airport security when you are flying with a full tool box as carry-on luggage.  They made me check my ball pein hammer, since it was considered a dangerous weapon!  So much for saving time by not checking any luggage.  I arrived at the sellers house and went through the car one more time.  As part of the purchase deal, he had it serviced with all fluids changed.  I spend the night at his house and left early the next morning. Then it was off to Colorado.  I had never been in West Virginia before, and I was amazed at how NASCAR crazy people are down there.  Every 7-11 and gas station and mini mart was filled with NASCAR caps, stickers, t-shirts, etc.  I've never seen anything like that out west.  They are really in to it!  By the way, it really is too bad the Dale Earnhardt passed away.  Even though I'm not that into NASCAR, everyone has to recognize that he was an awesome driver and a champion.  The irony is that the weekend before his death, he along with his son and another driver, finished 3rd overall at Daytona in the 24 hour event on the road course.  It really is too bad, and I'm sure all car nuts regret his loss.  Anyway, this is getting long, so I'll continue the "Europa Road Trip" sage next issue.  See you guys at the March meeting!
 
Spring is almost here!  After the wet month of February, I'm anxious to get out and drive on some dry winding roads on a sunny day!  Our track day is next month, but I can't wait that long so I'll have to risk yet another speeding ticket and go for it.  Luckily, I know a good lawyer who can make most tickets turn into non-moving infractions.  He turned one of my speeding tickets into a failure to comply with city sign ordinances!  He costs about $250 per ticket, but since you don't get any points or have insurance ramifications, I think it is worth it.  He has his best results in San Mateo County and at the court house in South SF, so if your ticket is around there, you've got a good shot.   Email me if you want his name and number.
Last month I got my Elan ready for the NASA track day at Sears Point, but I had to work until 10pm the night before to get it running right.  Then on the way to meet my friends in the city at 6am, before the drive to Sears Point, it started overheating.  Turns out the water pump belt broke, so I had to drive it fast to keep the motor cooler.  At the Chevron station on Lombard in San Francisco, I was able to talk the cash register guy into letting me into the shop portion of the gas station and go through their fan belts until I found one the fit just right!  That was lucky, but I had to give the guy $30.00 cash.  I probably overpaid for that belt, but it was worth it because otherwise I wouldn't have made it to the track on time.  Then it was off to the track.  We had beautiful weather, and it was fun, but my car wouldn't stick well, so I couldn't go that fast.  I had to move down into a slower group because I got tired of getting out of the way of faster cars!  Part of the problem was the seven year old Yokohama AVS tires, but I didn't want new sticky rubber the first time out with that car, not knowing what else it might need.  It turns out that I need all new springs and shocks.  Observers said that
my insider rear wheel looked like it was going to fall off around turns since it was flopping around so much! Let me know if any of your guys know of any 
spare Elan springs or shocks.  I want it set it up for 75% road use and 25% track use.  The next time I drove it was on the way to last month's GGLC  meeting.  I stopped at La Pinata in Burlingame for a drink (just one) with a few friends before heading up into Hillsborough, and when I tried to start the car to leave, it wouldn't start!  It was flooding, and it turns out that the forward carb was leaking fuel all over.  I had rebuilt the carbs a couple weeks earlier, but it looks like it was a fuel bowl needle valve/seat leaking.  So to my embarrassment, my friends had to push start me down Burlingame Ave!  Then at the meeting I just parked on the downgrade of the steep hills and getting home was no problem.  Life if never boring driving an old Lotus! 
Here is an interesting story about my Europa Special.  I bought the car from the original owner a few years ago.  I flew to West Virginia to look at it, and I planned to drive it back to Colorado to my parents house.  Although I was advised against trying to drive an old Lotus that far, I was feeling adventurous, and the car was in good shape.  I gave myself plenty of time in case of problems, even though I was supposed to be back in time for a wedding in Colorado. I took my tool box with me on the flight to West Virginia, so I 
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