Where has my oil pressure gone?

[bendicks@unixg.ubc.ca]

Gorgeous day today and warm enough that I could put the top down to fit
my ski's in! On the hillclimb to the local hill I was grinning so hard
my mouth hurt...except... on the way up I had a rather bizzare loss of
oil pressure. Glanced down and was only getting about 20 psi @ 5000
where I have always got more like 60. Backed off and it didn't really
change. No place to get off the road and almost there so I made it to
the lot and had a great day skiing while in total denial of the pressure

thing. So what I've got is no external or internal leaks of consequence
(had a little seaping leak from the hg under the exhaust for a while),
engine temp. was pegged at its normal 180, and there was plenty of oil.
On the way down normal pressure again and was driven just as hard once
everything looked OK.
     Don't quite know what I think of this self healing problem. Does
this sound familiar to anyone?  There are lots of er um ..30 km/h curves

on the way up or so the signs say, so my current theory is that maybe I
got a gulp of air into the pump during a corner. Possible? Or does it
sound like some other kind of impending pump, gauge, or related failure
that I'm overlooking?
Mike Bendickson
1980 spider