I'm not usually one to get excited about "something for nothing", because I believe that things are usually worth about what you pay for them.

Having said that: apparently you can *give* something by doing *almost* nothing.
Click this link it takes you to www.theanimalrescuesite.com Once there, you can click on the purple icon near the top, and by doing so you are exposed to some sort of ad for which the advertiser donates some money that gets used to buy food for shelter animals. Seems like a downright humane thing to do, doesn't take much time, and might make you feel warm and fuzzy inside for a few seconds, which is a nice way to feel.

Labels: dog

I don't know when the previous owner replaced (or didn't) the timing belt, and the timing belt cover has been badly damaged since I bought the truck, so I decided to finally just replace the belt and fix the cover. It was surprisingly painless and, aside from waiting for solvent to dry, only took about an hour or two, tops. The only tricky part was replacing the tensioner spring. That sucker is tremendously stiff and difficult to get into position. I ended up sliding the spring along one screwdriver until it was close enough to hook onto the post where it belongs. Then using a few gentle taps from a socket extension to knock it into position.
To fix the timing belt cover, I used ABS plastic melted in Acetone to "weld" the ABS plastic of the cover back together and fill the holes. It worked great! Acetone has nasty vapors, use caution.

"Before", badly cracked timing cover.	Taped up and ready for filling	I added larger chunks of plastic to fill the big voids, to help prevent sagging and hopefully speed things up a bit
Acetone. The smallest container I could get is a liter. I am certain that I will never need to repair enough plastic to use an entire liter.	ABS chunks, waiting for solvent	The ABS donor- an extra window switch
Dribbling the gooey glue into the cracks. My first attempt was rather thin and evaporated too quickly. The second batch that I made was much better- I let it dissolve the ABS overnight and got a thick paste.	The finished product. Not perfect, but watertight.	Interior view of the finish. I could sand it and even paint it to make it look better. But who am I trying to kid? This will never be a 'show' motor.
New timing belt, new tension spring. Re-used the idler pulley as it spins very freely, no wobble or sticking points. Getting that spring on it challenging.	New fan clutch beside old fan clutch. Minor housing differences. Much cleaner.	Side view of fan clutches. Note the blue stem on the new one. I wonder why blue?
Fan. A little battered, A lot dirty.	All clean! Still a little battered.	My dog. Very helpful. Guarding the beer (empties).
Fan clutch and timing cover, installed.	Along the way I found an old oil cap that was in better shape than the one on the motor. And it says "Toyota", which I prefer to "Engine Oil". It is the little victories that I savor the most.

Labels: Costa Rica, dog, land cruiser, photo

Recently we realized that storing things for years and years, with no hope of using them any time soon, is a little silly. I'm sure that if we were brave enough, we would dig into our storage boxes and find dozens of things that we should sell off, but for the time being, here are the two biggies: a fridge and a couch that have been at Steve's office for the last few years.

The couch is in great shape, as the pictures show. Its cover is microfiber and can be removed completely to throw in the washing machine. I'm convinced that it is the best material for a couch in the tropics as it breathes well and is low maintenance, but looks great. Similar couches, new, cost $1,200. We hope to get $650- throw pillows included.






A GE "Smart-Flow" Refrigerator/Freezer. It is white, and around 14.5 cu ft (408 l). Very quiet, very efficient, and we are asking a lot less than the $800 that it costs new. $450 OBO. Price includes ice cube trays, and all the drawers and such, all in nearly-new condition, original instructions manual included.




Ok, this stuff doesn't sit in storage: but we do want to sell it!

1988 HJ60 Land Cruiser. Great truck! But we have two full-sized Cruisers and only have parking for 1 1/2. So old blue has got to go. 6cyl 2H diesel motor, 4spd manual transmission, OME suspension and shocks (about 2.5" lift), Cibie headlights (much brighter than stock), Safari snorkel, Multi-lock shifter lock, upgraded front bumper. Stout and reliable. Photos here Asking price is $8,495 or Best Offer.

Prime Residential Lot in Tamarindo. 470m2 (about 1/8 acre). Great Guanacaste tree on one border. Beautiful Guaytil on the other border. Easy to build on. Ocean views from the 2nd floor. Quiet residential area. Asking price is $135,000 but we'll happily discuss any reasonable offer. Has water, power is right there too. Nice, nearly-square shape. I've got some sketches from architects that I'll throw in for free if you want, as well as some soil studies. We would consider carrying some paper on this sale, if the rest of the details make sense.

Labels: land cruiser, real estate, sale, tamarindo

There is nothing quite as annoying as a very, very small ant crawling around beneath your shirt.

Enough the have you babbling inanities in an hour or two.

Chinese water torture has nothing on it.

Driving
me
frickin
ape
NUTS!!!

Anyone ever kept an ant-eater as a pet? I've got to knock these little dastardly devils out of my home!

Michelle Obama is advocating organic gardens at USDA facilities.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/19/How-the-garden-grows/

Seems like a great step towards education, sustainability, and better eating. Isn't that what the USDA is supposed to be doing?

Labels: garden

	It was such a lovely evening last night that I decided to snap some photos of the yard. I had completely forgotten that the moon was about to rise, the photos I got do it no justice, but I've shared what I did get.

Labels: garden, photo, sunset, tamarindo

I'm feeling the Cruiser love.

Just hosted Bob Bancroft, from Oregon for a little while and while he was here he helped me fix the radiator on the 60 (which is for sale. pics here) He also helped me fix my wheel bearings when they loosened up at nearly midnight 2 hours from home. I'm fortunate to have had his help. Oh, he also did about 90% of the work on getting 90% of the dent out of the driver's door. Big improvement. Did I mention that my 1988 HJ60 Land Cruiser is for sale? It is. Buy it. You'll like it.

Bob's visit also instigated a trip down to Nosara to visit my friend Rick, also a cruiserhead. I look forward to some more visits down there as Rick is a great guy to hang out with and I can learn a lot from him. Also he surfs. Bonus. The surf in Nosara that day was a little disorganized, but it added another positive to an otherwise great day. Of course, the road from Nosara is what helped us discover the loose wheel bearing. It would sure have been nice to have found that closer to home!

The bearings are fine, but the adjusting nuts are worn out. Jocelyn is only in Atlanta another day or so, so I was pressed to find the parts I need to effect a better repair. I contacted a shop there called ACC (Atlanta Custom Creations) and they turned out to be the nicest strangers I've met all week. They helped me with the parts, in a hurry, and threw in a sweatshirt and some beer coozies. I have a little bit of a collection of coozies, so I'm doubly stoked!

As much as the vehicle itself is an impressive adventure machine, owning a Land Cruiser is also about the community. The only other vehicle that seems to compare in terms of international esprit d'corps is probably Land Rover (maybe Porche?). It is impressive how many people in the world are willing to help out other people, simply because you both own a 'Cruiser.

Labels: atlanta, land cruiser

please ignore my stock predictions. There is a reason I don't do it professionally!

I'm not moving any of my own holdings.

I predict we see a jump of not less than 1.5% in the Dow and/or S&P on the 3rd of March (today, technically).

Just throwing it out there.

Don't come back at me if I'm wrong. Don't feel *too* obliged to buy me a lavish dinner in an attractive beachfront eatery of my choice if you decide to invest heavily based on my half-wit recommendation. I'll settle for a cold beverage and a a high five.

Labels: news