Festers Never Give Up!

[batstiva]

Okay, so two years ago, when the Batstiva developed her near fatal problem, I parked her and started trying to assemble parts for a V-6 swap. I have barely been out and messed with her since I put her in the barn. Today, had to go to the barn for something and lifted the hood. A rat about the size of my cat was on top of the air filter, and the entire engine bay was full of rat nests. :evil: :evil: Got mad, tore all the rat nests out, got my jump box and lo and behold, she started. Have not touched her in two years, and she started right up, and drove out of the barn. Course, she still has the problem which was the reason that I parked her, but could not believe she started up and drove after sitting that long, with rats doing whatever they wanted to her. :shock: I mean, the %&%@# tires that were bad when I parked her are still holding air. :shock:

Might be time to put a hold on the V-6 thing, find me a 1.3 or 1.6 I can throw in her and get her back on the road before she does give up.

[stefan]

what was the fatal problem, that made you park it?

if you wanna get rid of the rats, leave your fest in there, start er' up and close the barn doors and leave it for a few hours... lol my grandpa taught me that one.

[batstiva]

Fatal problem was a near total loss of compression. Would start and run, and move in first gear, as soon as she was dropped into second gear, she would shut down. She did that to me at work, and getting her home remains the only time she has died on me away from home, that I have had to have her towed. Except for a screw-up by Midas that caused her to throw a wheel off at 60 mph. Alway fun. :roll:

Nice thought on the rats, but the barn is too airy, if that's how you spell that, to kill them with exhaust. Too many knot holes in boards, etc. :evil: :evil:

[packrat427]

If it starts and runs , the compression is not making it die in 2nd gear .

Did you have it looked at , or did you do a compression check ?

[batstiva]

Packrat, no to both questions because I thought I was doing something else with her sooner than I am. All I can tell you is the problem started with a loud bang and a cloud of black smoke, and she has not been the same since. Might start tinkering with her, and see what I can figure out.
Plus she had a pretty bad oil leak that I had put off looking into. Again, because I was planning other things for her. :roll:

[freshtiva]

You need a big cat. Or change its name to ratstiva. When I bought my red car it had sit for over three years after the tranny went out on it. I put a battery and a few gallons of gas in it and it started right up. The guy I bought it from was surprised when I drove it on the trailer. Those rats didn't chew on anything I hope. I found a mouse nest inside my air filter box once when I parked it for the winter. It had almost chewed through the air filter. So I put some screen across the hole in the air filter box to keep them from getting in there.

[batstiva]

The only thing I can find that they chewed were the wires I ran for my fog lights, which are already fixed. Fortunately, being a cable guy, I have learned to always, always, always leave extra wire someplace, just in case.

I have a crap-load of stray cats running around, but I think they are all too scared to go to the barn. lol :lol: