2 days muscle work on VW Beetle

Just a half day this afternoon was spent for an indispensable maintenance on air-cooled VW Super Beetle, front sway bar bush and lower arm outer bush that is connected with sway bar. What kind of Special Tools and what size is suitable were the most time consumer and extravagant for an aged geriatric, but I could accomplish this work as a matter of fact. The fact that the ordered parts last evening was obtained this morning for the sake of kindness by Flat 4 Tokyo VW shop and my 1302 has obtained the right to continue 2 more years legally. Though I put today as a laid-back holiday because the lack of the specific replacing parts, outer bushes were not prepared. Rapid countermeasure by Tokyo VW shop caused a change of my schedule unexpectedly, I must reply to their good intention with quick working. This is why I worked on my Super Beetle this afternoon following yesterday's hard muckle work. The test run after the affair is a great gospel! Steering response and stability have completely changed into far better than before, also riding taste also changed into mild and comfortable. 50 years period of time must have caused some change of Physical property in rubber material. I made up my mind to continue this Beetle more than 2 years. In spite of hard muscle task for 2 days, I feel better and healthy, I'v recognized habitual lack of athletic training.

Super Beetle parts from Flat 4 Tokyo

Because of holiday today, I am loosened and got up late in the morning recognizing some arm muscle pain on my right side shoulder. Yes, I did muscle work on my air-cooled VW Beetle removing distorted and making hitting noise when steered front lower arm outer bushes on both side, the work is on the way waiting new replacing part from Tokyo Flat 4 VW shop. As I could contact with them in the last evening, I thought I could obtain the ordered part in this evening, but as for my surprise, the luggage box was brought to me before long 10 o'clock in the morning! It means that I have no time to relax vaguely, I'm obliged to proceed to muscle work again. This is why I felt half pleased and half feeling bitter. So, let's go to my shelter garage!

An old Leitz free-ball-pan-head

A discontinued item by Ernst Leitz, GMBH was obtained through Yahoo Auction at reasonable price 10,000 yen with mint conditioned. The seller was a daughter of former owner, the Leitz free-pan-head #14121 was relatively rare item especially in good conditioned one. As for my surprise, small tag was set on it with warm and kind letter written with ball point pen. How much my heart was warmed with it in cold weather these day? I've realized the importance of heart to heart connections if we can't see actually each other. Also have I some envy to her father in good happiness in a warm family. Though I have been a user of Leitz free-pan-heads for over 50 years, I got the very item at that beginning time in fine condition, just was I a lucky guy! New comer would be set on Linhof profee tripod with becoming very well, better than with Linhof original head. I prefer free pan ball head because of the size and weight, Linhof Record-SV-Stative #003459 is exception, because it's lever head is delicate and light but stout and steady enough to support 4×5 Field Camera. Gitzo #1175 free-ball-pan-head on Velbon SX-601 is invited when long & heavy tele-photo lens are brought out. To tell the truth, Slik Grand Master and Master EV3 are kept in storage room in addition.

Air-cooled Super Beetle legal inspection

Air-cooled VW Super Beetle 1302 came across with the moment of Legal periodical inspection done in every 2 years at Kobe Hyogo Land Transport Bureau Audit Department. The appointment had been done 2 weeks prior to the date through internet booking, inspection is acceptable prior to one month from the limited day. The problems were spotted on the rear right light no reaction and the exhaust gas checking Hydrocarbon with 3,200 PPM. Former one was solved while moving on the checking line, the inspector noticed the change and he corrected the score bad to good. Latter one required three times trials before passing the exam. Remembering the past, 50 years ago, Yanase dealer had the counter measure to adopt the target value, below 1,200 PPM, the ignition timing was delayed 5 degree at BTDC. 1971 was the most complicated period of time, because the Exhaust Gas Regulations had been invited, as the fact and proof, the distributor in my 1302 had the 2 way vacuum control diaphragms, advancer and delayer, it's nothing but queer scenery. There is no way to obtain such a supply part in the world, and the regulation is applied only on the vehicle manufacturers not for the user of the car, consequently now a normal vacuum advancer is set on my ignition timing distributor. T Though I was tired of 3 times trials through lunch time taking 4 hours, I made up my mind to visit Tamba where my ancestor's grave is, because I felt some emotional assistance by the grand pa and ma. There was some complete different scenery at deep in the mountain, so cold and snowy almost white-out without eyesight, probably the last opportunity for me to be encountered this winter season. The lens invited here was Kenko MC Soft 85 mm/2.5 with adjustable "Bokeh" control being obtained at 4,000 yen through Yahoo Auction in good conditioned but with innate disfunction of infinity helicoid relational fixation leading to longer minimum distance at 3 m & over-infinity, this malfunction was corrected by my DIY work resulting in 1.5 m min distance establishing correct infinity angular position of focusing ring.

Shooting immediately after rainfall

Without getting bored at all, I came to Nakayama Temple again for shooting Ume photo in the situation of just immediate after rainfall, natural rain dew is the target today. Mischievous wind interrupted me from shooting photo smoothly, some rapid firing leaving the luck onto heaven for good focused transparency were effective enough to obtain my desired result.

Two places for shooting Ume

With the opening Spring season, plum blooming were tried shooting at Izumigaoka Kozan Park and Nakayama Temple, both of the place were a bit earlier around 30% at their best. All the shooting object have the best angle position and magnification so said, it is not an easy task to accomplish the requirement in combination with their back scenery condition and lighting direction. All the pics here were obtained through Minolta MD Macro-Rokkor 100mm/4, 50 years old SLR lens on SONY α--9 Mirrorless camera. Triplet design as it has, least glass surfaces establishes more clear and transparent resolution, no complaint have I on it at all. Though it is raining now, weather condition would be recovered soon, lighter sky proves it, I am going to try again Nakayama Temple this afternoon.

The first day of Spring, "Rissyun"

We call the first day of Spring "Rissyun" and the date of it had been defined as the 4th of February for as long as 37 years, but this is year, it is the 3ird of February, piled discrepancy between Sun Equitic caused the result. But still now we have some cold weather in Osaka with above Zero degree celsius. Coldness in Boston, my friend's residence must be much more sever condition! Our authority informed us of State of Emergency & Order to refrain from going out are extended till 7th next month, all the situation in the world going bad to worse. Thanks to my favorite professional photographer who serves several opportunity to shoot photos for amateurs like myself, it is possible to pile some trifle transparencies in my archive. But for this kind of external stimulation to obliged shooting photos, I would never go out spontaneously. The flower shootings obtained the other day at Tsurumi Green Garden are now in the middle of organizing.