Update to, "Fuel Pump."

It happened again, DAMN IT! About two weeks ago, while tooling around with my daughter, the Green Goblin sputtered out again. This time, I was at a little less then a quarter tank of gas, so I thought it might have been a malfunction in the fuel gauge, from my last fuel pump replacement. So, I went to the nearest gas station and put a couple of dollars in, just so I could get to a 76, Mobile, or Chevron. However, it still would turn over and I did what I have become very familiar with and that is calling Ford Road-Side assistance. They came and towed her away to the dealer again. After having the car there for about a week and a half, the Service Rep called me and told me it was now the, "Fuel Pump Module." He stated that the Service Manager was giving the car a final test drive and would come to a final conclusion soon. A couple of days later, he followed-up with a call that my Bullitt was ready for pick up and that, "you will never have this problem again." I won't hold my breath, however. Still, I can't wait to be reunited with my Green, V-8 dream. This car has been like a relationship with a hot, temperamental woman. Off and on, with a lot of drama and pain, but well worth the ride. Wish us luck.

To Speed. . .

Fuel Pump

to follow up from my last, it was in fact the fuel pump for the series of stalls my Bullitt was suffering from. Since receiving her back from the Ford Dealership, I have not had any further stalls. Mind you, it hasn't quite been a week yet, so I am not out of the woods yet. I hope that this will be the fix. I don't want to have to impose the, "three strikes," stipulation in the Calif Lemon Law regs. I have never been in love with a car like I am with the Green Goblin and hope to have her around for many, many more miles to come. I will keep you updated.

To Speed. . .

Narrowing it Down

It happened again; the stall. My Bullitt died out on me again a couple of times a few weeks ago. Once on a side street and then once on the 91 Fwy in the middle of traffic. Both times, I waited a few minutes and she restarted, felt like she blew some clog out of the injectors and started right back up. The next day I took the Goblin to the dealer I have been dealing with for quite some time. I had taken her there prior and they could find nothing wrong. This time they kept her for over a week, made some repairs to some wiring, which was not grounded properly and installed a, "Black Box," in her. The box is a flat, square box, with a cord and joy stick attached to it. I was instructed that when she died out I was to just click the button on the joystick and the box would record exactly what the engine was doing at that exact moment. Then, when I took her in to the dealer, they would download the stall info onto a computer and transmit it to Dearborn, MI. There, the powers that be, would diagnose the problem and submit a solution. Well, for one week no stalling, she was running like a champ. Then, on the 4th of July, as I was about to take my daughter to her Aunt's for dinner and fireworks, the most unexpected thing happened, or should I say, did not happen. She wouldn't even turn over. The engined cranked, but no spark. Immediately, I had roadside service tow her to the dealer, where, after five days of examination, they found that the fuel pump and fuel lines needed to be replaced. In addition, for good measure, they also dropped the fuel tank and gave that a once over, without finding any thing wrong.

I am hoping that second time is a charm, cause if we experience a 3rd time, then the Calif. Lemon Law comes into play and I take the Green Goblin back from whence she came. I hope it won't come to this, but there would be no other choice. I have seen very few other Bullitt owners complain of this particular problem, so I am hoping that it is just a glitch in the fuel pump/fuel line and not a production problem. I would hate to have gotten a nearly one-of-a-kind classic, that turns out to be practically an Edsel.

To Speed. . .

Hog Wild

Well, it is finally here!

I don't mean to make light of biblical prophecies, but it seems like the plagues are coming. Wow, talk about cutting into my drive time with the Green Goblin. This is like a black cloud out of nowhere! How small the orb of Earth seems when perceived through the eye of a virus, huh? But, not to worry; just keep washing those hands, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and keep administering the normal dosages of alcohol. Stay clean, as Motorhead would say.

To speed. . .

A Great Conversation Starter

Never before, in my short life-span, have I ever had a car which can spark conversation from the clear blue sky. Recently, when tooling around in my Bullitt, I have received some very interesting comments. This past Saturday, in Pasadena, a bus driver, idling next to me, yelled out, "is that a Bullitt?" I have never had a bus driver speak to me, while not as a passenger in the bus at the time. This guy was awe-struck by my Green Goblin and commented that it was beautiful. Sometime later in the day a gentleman approached the car, while I was parking, and asked if it was a Bullitt. He also commented on how nice he thought it was, but in addition, also asked if I would rev the engine. Do you think I would pass up a moment to display the classic musical sounds of this beauty? Needless to say, he was impressed and that stretch of block I was on, was much cooler. Looks and stares abound, as most people have never seen the green shade of my Mustang. Even if they have never heard of the Mustang Bullitt, Mustang Fastback, the movie, Bullitt, they still seem to be struck by its, "one of a kind," look. I will, no doubt, own many more cars in the future, but never will I own one such as unique.

To speed. . .

Revell Bites the Bullitt

It was shortly after my Bullitt acquisition, that I began looking for die cast models of the 2008 Bullitt. I could not find a one, so I suppose it takes the toy industry a little while to catch. However, recently, I found a couple of sites, for us die cast collectors and model builders alike. The first site I found: http://www.revell.com/catalog/products/85-4234.html, is a 1/25 scale plastic model. Upon first inspection, the green hue of this Bullitt seems a little bit light, but I guess it is the Light Highland Green version. It might just be the artist's interpretation, I don't know, but I haven't seen one so light before. Having not built a plastic model since high school, I wasn't so keen on getting back into piecing together and painting this version. So, on went the Web surfing. I then found another site ,which featured a DIE CAST Bullitt, all be it, the 1968 Bullitt Mustang, but a die cast Bullitt, none the less. The site: http://www.mintmodels.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=5918, even has a display stand, name plate, and complete with Steve McQueen's signature on the trunk. Going for $195.00, it is not your impulse buy, but it looks like it has very good collectors value, as it was limited to 6,800 issues, World-wide. Get it, 68, as in 1968 and the year the Bullitt was made? The die cast model is Franklin Mint issue, so you know the quality is impeccable. Now, I know there are many die cast models out there of the 1968 Bulllitt, but none as high quality and holding its collectors value as the Franklin Mint edition. I will definitely make this purchase in the not too distant future. I have even included the Franklin Mint web site, as well: http://www.franklinmint.com/product1.aspx?SID=2&Product_ID=9678. E-Bay even has them in auction, but they also are going for $195.00. I haven't checked with the Franklin Mint to verify stock, but they may be out of stock of these green, miniature beauties.

Yet, another site I found, http://www.danburymint.com/diecast/prod/Bullitt--1968-Ford-Mustang-GT_11409.aspx, is the Danbury Mint version of the 1968 classic. This site does not specify how many issues were minted, but the detail on this Bullitt model is outstanding. The price for this model, $149, seems a little bit easier to stomach. However, the availability is still the question. One site I saw the Franklin Mint 1968 Bullitt listed for $235.00. Oh, well, won't know until I sit down to actually order the car. if anyone has already ordered any of these or found out they are unavailable, let me know, so I can seek elsewhere. I might be headed for
E-Bay.

To Speed. . .

It's All About the Gas

I have now seen that the octane value really does seem to make a difference in the engine performance of my Bullitt. I started using 87, as advised by the dealer and by Ford, however, I immediately noticed problems. As I have referenced in my previous blogs, I experienced power loss, stalling, poor starting, and seemingly, clogged fuel injectors. When analyzed, the dealer could find no problem with the fuel injectors or related problems. At that point, I began using 91 and 93 only, which seemed to do the job. My next service visit I need to have my IAC, (Idle Air Control Valve), checked to see if that is bad. Ruling that out, it would seem to come back to the fuel. I was told, by a friend, that Union 76 sells 100 octane at a select few of their station in and around L.A. I'm told that the 100 octane is good to fill up with every once in a while, in order to, "cleanse," the fuel injectors. We shall see?

To Speed. . .

Can't Wait!

9 days and counting! Already, I can feel the excitement, as we approach the 2009 Spring Training schedule. As every season past, I am eternally hopeful of the Tigers' prospects this year and am hoping for a healthy, successful season for, "The Boys," I have really been encouraged by the new additions to the bullpen, such as the acquisition of Lyons from the D-Backs and the health reports on Bonderman and Zumaya.

Let's hope the hype lives up to the actual play on the field.

Bless you Boys!

To Speed. . . and baseball. . .

It was Just Gas

Follow up from my last post, in which I queried about fuel injection problems. I took the Green Goblin, 2700 miles, to the Ford dealer for regular servicing and to check the possible fuel injection problem I had. The diagnostic was negative for any problems and the service rep said that the cause was probably the octane level of the gas I was using. The service rep indicated that if I was cruising the Bullitt at "grandpa" speeds, 87 was fine. However, if I would be, kicking it into overdrive, very now and again I would need 89 or 91. I was even informed that Union 76 carries 100 octane at some of their So. Cal. stations. This was recommended as a, "once in a while," choice to clean out the fuel injectors of any built-up gunk. So far, so good. Today, I ran it almost empty and replaced the empty tank with 89 from Union 76. The next fill-up, I will find that 100 octane and give her a good gas enema.

To speed. . .

Anyone had this problem with their Bullitt?

A couple of weeks ago, while cruising on the freeway, I had a sudden drop in acceleration in the Green Goblin. I was traveling about 65 or 70, with the cruise control engaged, when suddenly the speed dropped and I lost acceleration. I down-shifted and hit the gas, but lost more power, so I down-shifted yet again and lost more power. I clicked on the emergency blinkers and started to move over to the shoulder, not wanting to think I was going to have my first major mechanical disaster in the new Green Goblin. As I was pulling over, I shifted up and hit the gas. This time I fell a slight shudder, as if the fuel injection kicked in or spit out something and just as suddenly as the problem began, I was up to full speed again. I ten proceeded about 15 miles back home, with no subsequent problem. I have not driven it since then and have made an appointment with the dealer. However, I have heard that Ford has had a reputation for faulty/bad fuel injection systems in their vehicles. Can anyone confirm this? I hope this is just a simple repair, covered by warranty and I can continue the love affair.

To speed. . .