Snow can't stop the last drive of the year

Earlier this week, we got hit with about 5 inches of snow. Much of it melted right away, but the temperature in the last few days has been pretty low so the snow has been hanging around the yard even though most of the roads are clear. Even though it was very cold, the skies were clear today and the sun was shining so TK and I decided to take one last drive of the year. As you can imagine, I was a little tentative as I pulled the 308 out of the garage onto the crunchy snow in our driveway.



Once we got out on to the main road, everything was fine. Some of the shaded side roads were still a little dicey as there were still clumps of compact snow and ice here and there. TK had to remind me to "cool my jets" along some of the shaded twisty roads. We ran a few errands, then headed East to Duvall for lunch.



On our way back, we stopped off at a friend's barn to catch part of her riding lesson. She made a comment about how they knew we were coming because they heard a rumble coming up the drive. Hmmm...maybe that Stebro exhaust is just a little too loud?



Happy new year!

Filters by Baldwin

Even if I can't drive, I can still get parts. I'm coming up on an oil change soon so I got a couple of oil filters and an air filter.



These filters are made by Baldwin (B253 oil and PA2094 air), which is a different brand than the UFI oil filter I am currently using. The 308 engine has the oil filter on top, which means that it uses a special filter design. Any filter used on this engine must have an internal stand pipe, which keeps oil from draining out of the filter when the engine isn't running. Most 308 folks use either UFI or Baldwin filters, even though Fram, Mobile and others make them. I have heard horror stories and seen pictures of Fram filters collapsing. Also, I heard that a number of UFI filters exploded after a design flaw many years back.

Baldwin has an interesting story. They've been around since 1936 and they mainly make filters for commercial applications so they're not really well known in the public automotive industry. Most people have never heard of them because you don't see their name on the filter shelf at your local auto parts store. Rumor has it that J.A. Baldwin and Enzo Ferrari were friends back in the old days. Baldwin owned a Ferrari (rumored 275GTB4 or a Daytona) which he kept at the plant. They continue to make great filters for many Ferrari models. The funny thing is that Baldwin filters are available at most truck stops, and even though most don't stock it, you can have them order up a Ferrari filter for you! I got mine from Associated Diesel and while I was ordering, I got a Baldwin T-shirt as well.

Counting down to 2011

It's been quiet in my hometown...not much going on on the car front. I think my chances of taking the 308 out again this year are almost nil. It's supposed to snow again later this week so the car will just have to wait some more.

TK and I had a pretty good holiday. We weren't hosting this year and as a result, we had to log quite a few miles to get to all the family functions. Christmas Eve was at my uncle's place this year. We had a gift exchange and look at this cool carbon fibre money clip I got!



Since hoodies seem to be all the rage, my mom decided to knit hoodies for all her "grand-dogs". My dog doesn't quite know what to do with hers.

The last drive of 2010?

It was supposed to rain all weekend, but somehow it managed to stay dry today and the sun even came out for a while. We had a windstorm earlier in the week and a tree came down in one of our front pastures. No damage, but I wanted to work on cleanup while it was dry and daylight. I worked on it for a few hours before giving up. It was far too nice a day to spend on yard chores. TK even sneaked out to ride her horse and I was feeling the need to exercise mine. There were a few hours of daylight left so I took the opportunity for a little drive. First stop was to get some peppermint extract and Hershey's Kisses from the grocery store (big Xmas cookie baking session). After getting the supplies, I took the long way home dropping down into the valley along some rural county roads. I could have stayed out a lot longer, but the sun was getting low in the sky and I needed to get back. The car ran great as usual and the drive definitely improved my mood.

Will I get another chance to drive before the end of the year?

NW Toy Run 2010

Finally, a nice sunny day when the roads are dry! Today was also the 7th annual NW Toy Run. It's a yearly event to raise money and collect toys for Toys for Tots. TK and I rounded up a bag of toys and drove down in the 308. There was a pretty good layer of frost on the ground this morning but the sun came out and it was a beautiful day.



The collection site was a local raceway, which has a big parking lot. Some people came in, dropped their toys and left while others parked and just hung out. We stayed for a few minutes and walked around the lot to see some of the other cars. Most of the people there were the "fast and furious" crowd with their outrageously lowered, stretched tires and obscene camber angles. I got a good laugh at a few of the cars. Still, it was a good event for a good cause. Over 1200 cars showed up and the event raised $3500 for Toys for Tots and collected a 27' trailer full of toys.

When we got back to the car, I noticed something strange about one of the headlight louvers. I had known that the paint on the aluminum louver was starting to flake off and apparently the drive down had caused a large section to take flight. What I saw was a big patch of bare aluminum on one of the slats.



When I got home, I realized a large section of paint from the other headlight louver also took flight. At least I have bare aluminum now on both sides to match! I knew I'd have to get these things repainted so I guess this is the time. I'll wait until it warms up a little in the Spring and repaint both louvers. On the later US cars, the louvers are anodized black and many early car louvers have been painted or power coated back. I think I'll stick with the original and paint it body-color rather than switching to black.