Both motorcycles took a bit to start--not surprising since it's been at least four, five months since they last ran--but there was enough juice in the batteries to crank them over, and they came to life without much of that.
Took the Suzuki out first, and it felt so good I ran almost out to Walt's on the thing, then came back and put 'er away. Then the Honda; it was running a bit rough and weak at first, and after riding the Suzuki I was having trouble acclimating to the smaller bike, so I just rode around the block a couple of times. By the time that ride was done it was running fine. Put both bikes away.
Turned my attention to the Jeep's headliner. A complete fix will have to wait until later, but I stuck some safety pins in it to hold it up and literally get it out of my hair.
Next, the compressor. The quick-change fitting on the end of the hose is apparently leaking; the last time I wanted to pump up the Jeep's tires the tank was empty. It's definitely not closing right and sometimes will stick open when I remove a tool from it, so I swapped it for another fitting. We'll see if that fixes the leak, or if I have to delve further into it.
Neatened things up just a little bit. Found a 7" strip of 1/8" thick, 1" wide steel strap, which will be perfect for basic welding practice.
Discovered a scratch on the Fiero, down the right side. Said many bad words, but I think I can buff it out.
Took basic inventory of things I want to put up on Ebay this year, mainly Escort parts. I've got a couple of taillight assemblies, the complete intake manifold, some other bits and pieces, all of which could be sold for a few shekels that could be applied to the go kart project. The spare transmission--I'm either going to clean it and put it on Craigslist, or I'm going to recycle it. No idea which, yet, but either way it's leaving the garage and putting some money in my pocket.
I'm planning, this spring, to dig into the remaining pile and further reduce it. I'm going to get rid of all the moldy old magazines and junk, because no one wants magazines with any quantity of black mold or mouse poop on them even if they look okay. There's a bunch of stuff in the garage I cannot be rid of (actual antiques, like the old TV and radio) but there's still too much crap out there that no one wants, and I need the space for my projects and other activities.
I'm still pondering the "AC door" idea I had a couple of years ago. A relatively inexpensive exterior door, with a cutout for an air conditioner, temporarily mounted in the place of one of the doors--it should work well and keep the garage at a livable temperature during the hottest months, so I can get some things done.
The dirt bike--I most definitely want to get that thing put back together this year, running properly and tuned up. It should not take much now that I have the parts; the only remaining tasks (besides getting the engine back together) are to assemble a working speedometer and then do a complete maintenance sweep of the thing, cleaning, adjusting, and lubricating everything. The only thing remaining then is to figure out how I'm going to put a rear taillight (and possibly turn signals) on it. Since it's got a 6v electrical system, that's going to be the hard part; right now I'm leaning towards building a new taillight bracket, but that may not be the most effective way to solve my problem. Either way, I want that bike back to 100% this year, and I'm the only one who can do it.
Reviving the Fiero is also something I must do. I haven't driven it since August of 2011, and its upper intake is still in pieces. I have the parts, and I have got to get this thing back together and on the road again. It's not like insurance on a car with collector plates costs anything. (Also, have to renew the plates. That's similarly not expensive.)
And, of course, I want to build a go kart.
We shall see how much of these ambitions are actually realized by the time snow falls again, but at least I'm making a list this time.