<VV> Spooky Story

[Bob & Kathy Gilbert]

Hi,

I've taken my freshly rebuilt 180 convertible out about a dozen times on
shake down runs to town - about 8 miles or so at about at a steady 3000 -
3500 RPM on a two lane highway and to-date it has run very well.

Today - the first decent day in a while and I decided to drive it to work
for the first time - about 20 miles on the same highway.

Got in the car and the first thing I noticed was that it was very hard to
start requiring close to 30-45 seconds of cranking. It finally started and I
let it run for a minute or two then pulled out of my driveway and by
coincidence I looked at the trip meter - 666 (no sh*&t - I am not making
this up!).

Pulled out onto the highway and the car slowly dies while it is nicely
straddling the center line! Simultaneously I look to my right and see a red
Toyota now bearing down on me at about 60 mph! He's furiously honking and I
am praying that the Vair will have enough energy to get out of the way. It
did but only just. 

Get to the side of the road and the car starts right up. I decide to drive
on and get about a mile or so down the road and the car dies again with all
of the feel of a car running out of gas, not the "right now" feel of an
ignition failure. I pull over, immediately start the car again and return
home. The return trip is uneventful so out I go again (I am a glutton for
punishment!) to go to work. This time I get about 5 miles when it dies again
- same symptoms but this time I have the added "pleasure" of having a
zillion ton fully loaded logging truck racing up behind me at about 70 mph.
I pull over, restart the car and this time I say enough is enough and drive
home were the car now remains.

Strange, eh? 

Bob