Money. Moola. Dinero. Not a fun subject, though sometimes a required one. I have applied for two Art Grants for the STEAMBUG with great success, $599 from Transformus (being used for the bug platform and pole itself) and $111 from Alchemy (being used for the trailer). However, another kind of funding is needed: one that I would not so much call art, but is none the less required for its operation - and that is mechanical. I took my '69 Beetle, which felt like it was running well, into the shop to get it looked over as it had been parked for awhile, and they did $500 dollars worth of repairs on it. All of the repairs were things that needed doing, like tuning it up and replacing what they called the original "firebomb" gas pump, along with all of the aging gas line, and a lot of other things. But alas, this is not everything that needs fixing.
Dollars, I hate talking about them. This is one of the reasons I did not put a budget on this blog (though now I think I possibly should have, it is available online in the Alchemy Art Section if you are interested). This is also one of the reasons I really love burns, there is no cash, no commerce, not even thinking about it, worrying about it, fretting about it, or spending it. But there is also a hard reality, which is that one does need a fair amount of resources to create and bring all the cool things we love to have and play with at these festivals. That is partially where the Art Grants come in, to help offset this paradox. But being grants for art, I really feel they should go into the art part of the project, and not for un-arty things, like mechanics. I was hoping to cover this myself, well, it has turned out to be a little more than expected. And working 50 hours a week (including commute), creating a complicated art project that has a clear deadline, and organizing all of the Theme Camps at Transformus, I have less time to actually get my hands greasy and work on the car my self. So, this is where you, oh wonderful admirer, might come in.The good news is that everything that ABSOLUTELY needs to be done for the STEAMBUG to come to Transformus is working! The bad news is that the things that probably should be done are going to cost another $500. They are really only two things (that we know about currently) remaining.
- A new German muffler, they are the best and quietest ($218 including labor) - the current one is shot. Not only is it loud as all hell, but a good muffler pushes a little back on the engine, which VW cars expect, and the rusted parts could clog the tail pipe and completely stop the car in its tracks. But the main issue is running quiet while at a Burn which I think we all can agree would be best...
- Replacing the ball joints in the front steering ($300, including labor) - the mechanic said that this needed replacing soon, but was not urgent. Then he showed me how the rubber balls that usually pad them are totally shot, and how there was some looseness you really did not want there. Worst case scenario, the wheel will fold under the the car - just like those flying cars in Back to The Future - only it would really suck for it to happen on the highway. Considering we will be abusing this car's suspension, with the the addition of a hefty roof rack, stirppers pole, and dancing people up on top of it, I think this is also necessary before a major Burn
So, as a Ren Fair magician once said "and now for my final act I will make the entire audience disappear with one simple word!... ...Donations?" I have set up a paypal account at STEAMBUG at PhilosopherzStone dot com. It would be great if you could chip in. Don't feel that any donation is too small, everything will help, and if a bunch of y'all chip in just a little, we can still cover it. And yes, paypal even accepts VISA.Humbly Yours,
PyroCelt
www.STEAMBUG.com
PS, I took it for a spin to a party, the girls seemed to like it - I thought you might like the pictures as well *wink* wink * nudge * nudge *
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