9/26/05
Blown Fuses and More Buffing

As I put more mileage on my car, I’m finding small issues that need to be addressed. I’m hoping these are just teething pains for my Ferrari, but it’s probably more the nature of an old car. I started out trying to figure out why my turn signals stopped working. The first thing I suspected was the flasher unit since it was probably the original unit from 40 years ago (the silver canister on the left side of the picture). As I looked at the wiring, I found one of bullet connectors dangling from under the flasher unit. Unfortunately, there were two receptacles this wire could’ve plugged into, so it took a little more time checking the circuits before I was reasonably sure which one was the right plug. It was a great relief when my turn signals started flashing again without any signs of smoke!

As I was sorting out the turn signals, I turned my parking lights on only to find them not working. I didn’t remember seeing these lights being a problem, but then again, I rarely drive the car a night. Looking for the obvious suspect, I checked the fuse panel and found a blown fuse. Not finding any obvious problems, I replaced the fuse and took the car out for a drive. The parking lights worked fine for the first half of the drive, but burned out on the way back to the house. Luckily the headlights are on a separate circuit, so I made it home without incident. Somewhere there must be a short, but I’ll have to figure out how to find it. If you have any suggestions on a procedure, email me, or respond to the forum so the rest of us can benefit as well!

Yes, I’m still working on the grille! I’m happy to announce the wet sanding process is finally over. Except for a few scratches that will have to be addressed with additional sanding, the bulk sanding of all the pieces to 1500 grit is done. Now comes the next laborious process of buffing. I managed to get 10 of the 13 vertical pieces rough polished, but they will need an additional fine polish before they’re ready to go on the car. Let’s just hope I finish this Grille before my trip to Australia!

I want to thank everyone who offered me luck and support on my future plans and trip to Australia. It’s great to finally hear from some Australians that have been lurking in the background following my website. It will be great to meet some of you while on my travels, and maybe find some car related activities we can share with those that may suffer from withdrawal when I leave for my trip! I’m confident, however, that I’ll keep you all entertained with whatever I do down under, and I’m really looking forward to the adventure. As of today, I’ve booked the flight, so the ball is rolling!

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