Build Thread 1978 Mercury Cyclone. The pig is in the pen.

Today I spoke with the machine shop. The block decked clean w/ only a .010 cut. Adding that 10 to the 10 that came off the head means I need a head gasket thicker than stock by .020. Or, in Japanee terms,...I need a .071 thick 2jzgte head gasket. My stock thickness piece that I’ve had since October is .051. AND...Since I’ve had it since October, my window to return it w/o penalty has slammed shut. They’ll take it back, but not without charging me 40.00 to do that. So, today I lost 40 on a 156.00 cost head gasket. To add salt to the open wound( or lacquer thinner, brake clean, or any of a dozen other chemicals that burn like hell when applied to a cut)...A .071 thick head gasket is few and far between,...costing an additional 25 bucks over what the stock thickness gasket costs.
Now while 25 bucks isn’t dick in the grand scheme of things here, the fact that I’ve already spent 156, only got 116, and now am having to spend 175 to get a new one seems more like an 80 dollar difference to me..

I’ve been butt angered again by the Binford BA-151 15 hp gas powered Butt reamer.

It’s off day. Too many commitments to people on Saturday made this the only day I was gonna have off if I intended to take one.
This will be the 4th year at BMW, with last year being my first full year as a salesman here. The year before that I only worked 9 months, having converted over from a BMW Genius ( product specialist) in March.

I don’t mind the job despite the retail hours. Had I known that this job was this good back in ‘12 when I had my financial meltdown, and had to sell the red car because of it......I’d have been working here long ago.
Instead of Working at Carmax as a service advisor for 2 years. Then working for a friend in the AV business for 6 months. Before going back into my own business for 18 months. Only to be forced back out by the fact that my knees were disintegrating.

The irony here is that when I announced my intention to convert from Genius to Salesman, a couple here dogged me for that choice. ( something about going from “ a job title with a degree of integrity, to one of the lowest rungs on the ladder“...aka pond scum.)
I’m here to proclaim it then: The ”Pond Scum” that work as BMW salesmen make a really good living. At least by most standards.
I was #4 out of 14 last year, with 6 of the salesmen having been in the business for 10 years or more.
The wage at the #4 slot just tagged 6 figures. And that doesn’t include the money that comes as perks directly from BMW, that’s now building the Tooge.

Uhh...I’ll take “ Pond Scum for 100000 Alex”.

Now I know this looks like a brag, and it is,....but it’s only directed towards a couple of people,..although I doubt they pay attention anymore
“Oh how the mighty have fallen....Car Salesman. The most despised profession going. By far the most un-trusted profession going. I thought you were better than that. Have you actually looked into what will be required of you to do this "job". Ask any person off of the street what they think of a car salesman, and that is how you will be viewed. I hope you can live with that. I would not. Good Lord, you have far far better skills than to sink to this level of debauchery. Yikes.”

I am better than that.

For the rest,....I’m cutting up the Monster today...

What dreams may come......