No worries as there is nothing better than spending time with old cars.
My 1963 Jeep holds the same grip over me... Nothing better than tinkering with her and trying to make her run a little better. Sadly, she is at home and I am away.
Hope you get a nice sunny day to take the old girl out for a spin.
No worries as there is nothing better than spending time with old cars.
My 1963 Jeep holds the same grip over me... Nothing better than tinkering with her and trying to make her run a little better. Sadly, she is at home and I am away.
Hope you get a nice sunny day to take the old girl out for a spin."
I had a 1951 Chevy pickup once. Paid $150 for the truck, $150 for a rebuilt engine out of a '55 Chevy car. All told I had about $700 in it when I sold it for half that. But the things that old truck taught me? I may have lost money on the truck, but I did not lose money in the end.
Keads - triumphs, muscle cars and the occassional Shelby mustang. .
Borepatch - wheel on the right makes me a menace in an Irish roundabout.
Well Seasoned Fool - we've said this before, but you are one wise man. . :-)
PPPP- MG-A? bwahahahahahah
Rev Paul - I wanted to take auto shop in high school. They wouldn't let me. I had to take home ec, where I learned how to sew on a button and maked stewed prunes. Prunes are not part of my vocabulary and the last button I tangled with EJ had to get duct tape and iodine out.
But I got my hands on a well used, high mileage but clean 67 Cuda and stuffed a 440 big block in her with the help of the male members of the clan. The headers had to be replaced as with the bigger engine they were barbecuing the brake booster, but it was a swell car, Root Beer Brown, even if not all original (my "steady" in high school was "Pick a Part")
Somewhere in the photo archives is me sitting on the hood in the driveway in the early 90's wearing vintage 60's clothes with my hair in a big flip. Not for posting, but I've shared it with fellow car geeks.
Miss D - I looked at the manufacturer's emblem on the hammer. It says "LPOD Tool Co." and there's this circle of salt emblem around it. No, I'm good! Bet I could even work on a boat with this hammer!
British cars can be fun to work on, but for the ultimate sadomasochistic thrill, try a few French cars. In particular, Citroens. I had to replace the hub bearings in an SM once, and the shop manual told us to torque the front axle stub nuts to NINE-HUNDRED FOOT POUNDS! We thought it was a misprint, so we called the dealer. Turns out they had a special planetary gearbox you had to use that multiplied the torque by ten. We were lucky that they rented them. And I won't go into replacing the exhaust manifold gaskets, which seemed to blow out every 7500 miles or so.....
Did I make an inadvertent funny with the MG-A question?
I worked on an MGB once. I think it was positive ground. I remember dual side-mounted carbs, and a single lug that took a special wrench to get the wheels off.
Ah, yes. The big-block Baracudas. Got my license in one. 6-pack carburetor and a radical cam. Had to give it enough gas when putting it in gear to not kill it but not so much that you would chirp the tires. Easier said than done. Would pass anything but a gas station.
The French build cars as well as they design guns. (Hint - not well on either.)
They do make decent bread though.
And that toast stuff, and those fried potatoes. Those are good, too. Oh. Wait. We just call those French Toast and French Fries. They didn't really have anything to do with them. Never mind then.
Ah yes, we of that generation had to go through the limey car thing. Rode a BSA 440Victor, owned and rallied a MGBGT, picked up chicks in my new XKE convert., And for the frogs, I had a Facel Vega. All a POS, but fun.
Nice hammer. Just remember, if a hammer doesn't work... get a bigger hammer. I've seen them so large one needs a crane to use them but they wouldn't let me play with it for some reason.
The whole bigger hammer thing makes my inner precision machinist cringe. My aircraft mechanic side understands, though.
I have mostly avoided the temptation of british cars and motorcyles, but there have been a couple of narrow escapes from that particular slough of despond.
I had a skipper that was fond of the little Brit cars, he wanted to know why radar transmitters didn't last very long. I told him they were made by Lucas.
He didn't think that was nearly as funny as I did...
Those of us who were "in the back" of fling-wings (Old NFO)referred to that special tool as a "Pilot Adjustment Stick" They worked well on 1st Lts. Didn't know they worked on Triumphs.
The TR6 was one of Triumphs better product's, even loaded down with all of the emission control crap. Working on one might not be cheap therapy but it is intresting. I was more into English motorcycles than car's though and rode more than my fare share of them.
My uncle had a TR6 for many years. I really wanted one and still wouldn't mind having one. He traded his for a sail boat long before I was old enough to drive. It had the same dual, side draft carbs as the 240z which would leak right on to the exhaust manifold if they were in need of maintenance. It's interesting to have a large fireball come out from underneath your car on a dark, rural highway. Just speaking from experience.
Since no one here has mentioned Italian cars I guess I'd better chime in. Back in my misspent youth, a cousin introduced me to Alfa Romeos. He had a '57 Giulietta and we rode everywhere in that car. A couple of years later I bought a '64 Giulia. Drove it until I figured out that the lack of power was not due to it needed a tune up, as the former owner had told me, but instead was due to a burnt valve.
So.....pulled the engine (a 3 hour job that usually turned into a 9 hour job for some reason) and tore it down for a complete rebuild. Had it balanced while I was at it. Upon reassembly I did remember to put the o-rings between the cylinder liners and the bottom of the block so that the coolant didn't end up in the oil pan (wet liners).
Sent the body out for some rust work (typical Alfa: rocker panel and rear wheel arch rot) and a respray (as close to Alfa red as I could find) and somehow just never got around to putting her back together.
I am about to get tired of having to tell people that it's been in "extended restoration......for 40 years". It's about time to make her sing again!
28 comments:
Oh, they are sirens to be sure. They will lure you to your death! I have the same affliction though. I like your tools better too.
Wheel on the right makes me drool.
No worries as there is nothing better than spending time with old cars.
My 1963 Jeep holds the same grip over me... Nothing better than tinkering with her and trying to make her run a little better. Sadly, she is at home and I am away.
Hope you get a nice sunny day to take the old girl out for a spin.
At least it isn't a six volt positive ground.
"Middleboro Jones said...
No worries as there is nothing better than spending time with old cars.
My 1963 Jeep holds the same grip over me... Nothing better than tinkering with her and trying to make her run a little better. Sadly, she is at home and I am away.
Hope you get a nice sunny day to take the old girl out for a spin."
I had a 1951 Chevy pickup once. Paid $150 for the truck, $150 for a rebuilt engine out of a '55 Chevy car. All told I had about $700 in it when I sold it for half that. But the things that old truck taught me? I may have lost money on the truck, but I did not lose money in the end.
"Well Seasoned Fool said...
At least it isn't a six volt positive ground."
Would that be an MG-A?
____________
Bigger hammers needed. Much bigger!
It would be a pleasure to work on something "old school" for a change; I'm a bit envious.
Having worked with Lucas Electrics in my younger days, PPPP is correct. MUCH BIGGER HAMMER!
But English Cars just are so cool!
Keads - triumphs, muscle cars and the occassional Shelby mustang. .
Borepatch - wheel on the right makes me a menace in an Irish roundabout.
Well Seasoned Fool - we've said this before, but you are one wise man. . :-)
PPPP- MG-A? bwahahahahahah
Rev Paul - I wanted to take auto shop in high school. They wouldn't let me. I had to take home ec, where I learned how to sew on a button and maked stewed prunes. Prunes are not part of my vocabulary and the last button I tangled with EJ had to get duct tape and iodine out.
But I got my hands on a well used, high mileage but clean 67 Cuda and stuffed a 440 big block in her with the help of the male members of the clan. The headers had to be replaced as with the bigger engine they were barbecuing the brake booster, but it was a swell car, Root Beer Brown, even if not all original (my "steady" in high school was "Pick a Part")
Somewhere in the photo archives is me sitting on the hood in the driveway in the early 90's wearing vintage 60's clothes with my hair in a big flip. Not for posting, but I've shared it with fellow car geeks.
Ain't much that can't be fixed with a good hammer. :)
Calmer Half hopes that isn't a Lucas hammer...
Miss D - I looked at the manufacturer's emblem on the hammer. It says "LPOD Tool Co." and there's this circle of salt emblem around it. No, I'm good! Bet I could even work on a boat with this hammer!
British cars can be fun to work on, but for the ultimate sadomasochistic thrill, try a few French cars.
In particular, Citroens.
I had to replace the hub bearings in an SM once, and the shop manual told us to torque the front axle stub nuts to NINE-HUNDRED FOOT POUNDS!
We thought it was a misprint, so we called the dealer. Turns out they had a special planetary gearbox you had to use that multiplied the torque by ten.
We were lucky that they rented them.
And I won't go into replacing the exhaust manifold gaskets, which seemed to blow out every 7500 miles or so.....
I don't understand. Triumphs have only two wheels.
Brigid -
Did I make an inadvertent funny with the MG-A question?
I worked on an MGB once. I think it was positive ground. I remember dual side-mounted carbs, and a single lug that took a special wrench to get the wheels off.
Ah, yes. The big-block Baracudas. Got my license in one. 6-pack carburetor and a radical cam. Had to give it enough gas when putting it in gear to not kill it but not so much that you would chirp the tires. Easier said than done. Would pass anything but a gas station.
Ah, Citroens.
The French build cars as well as they design guns. (Hint - not well on either.)
They do make decent bread though.
And that toast stuff, and those fried potatoes. Those are good, too. Oh. Wait. We just call those French Toast and French Fries. They didn't really have anything to do with them. Never mind then.
Ah yes, we of that generation had to go through the limey car thing.
Rode a BSA 440Victor, owned and rallied a MGBGT, picked up chicks in my new XKE convert., And for the frogs, I had a Facel Vega.
All a POS, but fun.
Sweet little ride! And yeah all those 'tools' are a PITA!
Nice hammer. Just remember, if a hammer doesn't work... get a bigger hammer. I've seen them so large one needs a crane to use them but they wouldn't let me play with it for some reason.
PPPP - inadvertent and an inside family joke abaout certain evil cars that we have worked on their wiring. My brother would understand.
Off to work!
The whole bigger hammer thing makes my inner precision machinist cringe. My aircraft mechanic side understands, though.
I have mostly avoided the temptation of british cars and motorcyles, but there have been a couple of narrow escapes from that particular slough of despond.
If you have a Brit car you definitely need one of these:
http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm
I had a skipper that was fond of the little Brit cars, he wanted to know why radar transmitters didn't last very long. I told him they were made by Lucas.
He didn't think that was nearly as funny as I did...
You forgot the tape, and the fire extinguisher.
Those of us who were "in the back" of fling-wings (Old NFO)referred to that special tool as a "Pilot Adjustment Stick"
They worked well on 1st Lts. Didn't know they worked on Triumphs.
The TR6 was one of Triumphs better product's, even loaded down with all of the emission control crap. Working on one might not be cheap therapy but it is intresting. I was more into English motorcycles than car's though and rode more than my fare share of them.
My uncle had a TR6 for many years. I really wanted one and still wouldn't mind having one. He traded his for a sail boat long before I was old enough to drive. It had the same dual, side draft carbs as the 240z which would leak right on to the exhaust manifold if they were in need of maintenance. It's interesting to have a large fireball come out from underneath your car on a dark, rural highway. Just speaking from experience.
Since no one here has mentioned Italian cars I guess I'd better chime in. Back in my misspent youth, a cousin introduced me to Alfa Romeos. He had a '57 Giulietta and we rode everywhere in that car. A couple of years later I bought a '64 Giulia. Drove it until I figured out that the lack of power was not due to it needed a tune up, as the former owner had told me, but instead was due to a burnt valve.
So.....pulled the engine (a 3 hour job that usually turned into a 9 hour job for some reason) and tore it down for a complete rebuild. Had it balanced while I was at it. Upon reassembly I did remember to put the o-rings between the cylinder liners and the bottom of the block so that the coolant didn't end up in the oil pan (wet liners).
Sent the body out for some rust work (typical Alfa: rocker panel and rear wheel arch rot) and a respray (as close to Alfa red as I could find) and somehow just never got around to putting her back together.
I am about to get tired of having to tell people that it's been in "extended restoration......for 40 years". It's about time to make her sing again!
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