Once again the proverbial question arises, What did you get done this weekend? Well I changed the jets in my roadster because I knew it was running lean. I was antsy to take it out and try it all weekend. Sunday early afternoon, I took my youngest daughter for a spin (shes 21yrs). Her take, I like it when you go fast. I was actually able to get the car up around 65 for the first time. Ive been attempting to work out a front tire bounce issue for some time now and I think I have a handle on it. Still some work yet to do though. So late Sunday afternoon, we have a big family/church gathering and being the wise-guy I am, I think that I will take the roadster to show it off. My youngest son and I jump in the roadster and head north up M291 to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1lace>Liberty</st1lace></st1:City> with my wife pacing me behind us in her daily (Yes, I have learn something about Frankenstien cars). Well we get to the bridge that goes over the <st1lace>Missouri river</st1lace> and the roadster decides to act like its out of gas. Funny, it couldnt do it when we reach the apex of the bridge (highest part, top of the hill), were just a couple hundred feet short of it. What does a hoodlum do? I jump out of the car and start pushing while Im yelling to my wife to turn on her hazard lights since Im watching all these cars and trucks fast approaching her backside at highway speeds. We have owned her car from over a year and she doesnt know where the switch is for her hazard lights. Im still trying to push this roadster up the hill to the top of the bridge all the while Im yelling at her as to where on the dashboard to find the switch. I see trucks screeching their brakes and doing the last minute swerve just missing her by what seems to be inches, only to have them blow by me too close for comfort. Oh, Im on the outside lane standing on the drivers side pushing this car. Speaking of pushing this car, have you ever pushed an open-wheeled roadster? What happens is that just when you are getting a good push and extending your body fully, the rear tire grabs your foot and runs over it. Did I mention that Im still on the bridge in the middle of the highway? A true Samaritan stops by, and jumps out of the passenger side of a passing truck. Young kid that thinks the old car is too cool. Asks if I need any help. Oh, yeah, I could use some help pushing this car to the top so I can coast down the other side. He grabs the backside of the car and starts pushing. We get some speed up, I jump in the car and yell for him to jump in too. Then the car grabs his shoe and down he goes. The car proceeds to run over his foot. He jumps right back up and asks how to get in the car, while the car is gaining speed on the downhill side of the bridge, I yell out instructions and he finally is able to install himself into the passenger seat. We coast down the bridge and onto the frontage road where we take count of our fortunes and mis-fortunes. I thank him for his help and he goes on his way, ruined the way only an old car can do. My wife follows in and we agree that I will stay with the car and she will go for gas. Funny, I look into the gas tank and it is showing about three or four inches of gas in the bottom of it at least. After about an forty-five minutes, she arrives with fuel. Pour it in and she fires right up. We proceed with our earlier plan and head north to <st1:City><st1lace>Liberty</st1lace></st1:City>. Car is running fine and we arrive at our destination. After a couple of hours, we say our good-byes and my boy and I jump in the roadster for the trip home. I am nervous since cops have been cruising by and Im running weed-burners without baffles. I take it easy and get to M291 once again only for the car to backfire through the car once and die as Im getting on the highway. Great, Im now stuck just barely on the inside shoulder of the highway this time. Car wont start, sounds like the starter isnt getting enough juice. Alternator gone bad? I hook up my wifes car for a jump start only to be met with more of the same sounds coming from the starter. I decide that we need to push the car off the highway and one of us go for the trusty old 54 Chevy truck and tow-bar. The thing is, this highway has gotten real busy and we need to cross two lanes of traffic. In comes another Samaritan to help push. Me on the drivers side and him on the passengers side, my ten year old boy at the wheel. As soon as we start to cross, the whole road is full of cars. I stop pushing but the Samaritan keeps on. I yell to stop, but he stands in the street and raises his hands for all the cars to stop. Surprisingly, they do. Now we start pushing with vigor. Going real good when the rear tire grabs my left foot and brings me down all the way. The car proceeds to run up onto my right leg all the way to my knee. I am thinking, should I let it run up over my knee thus exiting out the rear side of the tire or not? the pain was the determining factor. I yell for a stop and to back the car off of me. Did I mention that were in the middle of the highway? Someone backed the car off of me and I jump up and let the adrenaline work for me. We get the car off the street and into a car wash out of the way. Once stopped, I can feel where the car used me as a ramp. The Good Samaritan asks if Im ok. Yeah, I think so. He asks if he can pray for me. Knock yourself out was my reply. Good folk, he was. After that he leaves. My wife and I decide that she will stay with the car and I will go for the truck. When I get back I hook up the tow-bar to the roadster and crawl under and un-bolt the driveshaft. Now Ill push the car to the truck to connect the tow-bar to the truck. I push and the roadster wont go anywhere. Huh, Its in park but that shouldnt have any bearing since I un-bolted the driveshaft. Oh, speaking of driveshaft, I forgot to actually remove it. I crawl back under the roadster and remove the driveshaft. Remember, dont try this at home. We are trained professionals Wget the roadster and the truck back home. My driveway is on a hill (see a theme developing here?) and wise-guy that I am, I attempt to back the whole entourage up the hill. When you go forward with a tow-bar, the towed cars front wheels track with the towing vehicles wheels. It doesnt seem to work that way when going in reverse. It took a while, but I persevered into pushing that roadster up the hill with the front wheels turned to the left and the car straight into the driveway. Come hell or high water, Ill get the job done Oh, now the truck needs a clutch My roadster is cursed, or is it just that it doesnt like me? I got stranded on the side of a busy highway twice in one night along with getting run over by my own car, twice in the same night. What did you get done this weekend?
I finished getting a 60 Impala (348/stick) driveable for it's original owner, who hasn't driven it in 20+ years
got teased into looking at a new project..MMmmm wondering if i should bite..a 49 merc..at a decent price..all the body work done..not chopped "yet" original flatty 8 going to look at it tonight i might put up pictures..again maybe not..depends on if i bite or not!
Not a damn thing, didn't go nowhere, didn't work in the shop. Just sat on my ass all weekend and it felt real good. Now I'll have to make up for it next weekend. BB
Went rummage saling Saturday morning and bought a Geo Storm. Ate too much at daughter's boyfriends parents' house and had our grandson Saturday night and most all day Sunday. Got to back the Buick out and mopped the garage. Got the 85 Z28 running.
I put a seat belt in the 56 wagon to finally take my daughter Emily for a ride in daddies hot rod as she calls it.She's working on 2 years old.I have my wife in the back and we leave to go to a small car show/cruise night.Well I decide to impress my 2 year old and spin the tire going through the gears.Well I turn off the highway and decide to impress the truck behind me which is mine with my 16 year old son and buddy in it.I rev the engine and let the clutch fly,well it didn't go well.This weekend I'll be changing rears.The 56 rear didn't hold up to the the 355 and the 4 speed.I guess you never get it out of your system
Having pushed my old roadster a good way over the years, mostly due to empty* fuel tank issues, I can relate to the car driving over your heels and up your leg. After the time it did run over my calf, I made sure never to have that happen again. I do all my pushing on the rear tire, actually easier than leaning into the windshield and dashboard. Only hazard would be the car getting away from you on a slope. That happened once but I caught it and didn't get run over so I'm sticking with pushing on the tires. * Solved the empty fuel tank issue with a grease pencil. Mark down the mileage and fuel amount on the top LH corner of the windshield. I know I can get 145 miles,at least, from a tank of gas. So keep an eye on the miles driven and never had another empty tanked roadster to push. This while driving my friend Burl's Track Car.
Went to the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart and drooled over the Silver Arrow fleet of vintage racecars. Pics later.
Friday night a retired glass guy came over and took the front and back out of my 68 plymouth so I could start sanding the thing for body work. Saturday at 6am I pushed the 54 out and started slowly putting the wiring harness back in. Shiny things are a little harder to work on. Cut my aunts gas. (I store stuff there in return for labor) Met my 83 year old grandpa at the shop to help him get his 31 model a truck running that's been storage since 79. Met a guy that bought my 37 touring project to load it up. Ate Pizza. Sunday-Church-Lunch-Piddled in the garage. Wifey was out of town so it was productive.
Damn, Raven. That sounds exactly like the sort of stuff that happens to me. This weekend the '53 got stripes.
not much .... I was hopeful that I'd get this thing running right... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=207053
Helped my friend sand some areas on his '55 f-100. We're trying to get it in one color.. that was saturday. Sunday I spent a little time on the panel truck. Replaced the headlight switch with a less crappy, but still not perfect, switch and got the dash lights working. Still have one headlight out and the taillight to deal with. Pulled out the ignition switch and put one in that I actually have a key for. Put in some mismatched, but essential gauges (water temp and oil pressure).
Wow! What a story, glad no one got killed or hurt(sounds like it could have easily happened). I changed the alternator belt on my Japanese minivan (something I hate working on because it just reminds me how much I should be working on one of my other cars), rented a storage area to put all the crap in the garage in so I can get started on the truck, went on a picnic with the kids Sat., pulled the seat and driveshaft off the 34 International (last few weekends I have been taking it apart to get ready) and on top of that I watched a whole bunch of episodes of "Battlestar Galactica" on DVD and drank beer. In other words, didn't really do anything productive really other than taking apart my truck.
I had a great weekend. Got my 40 coupe on the road after 3 years in bits in the garage. And probably 7 years abandoned in the previous owners garage. here's a pic: I'll write up a proper post when I've recovered. Mart.
Friday, ordered parts.... Friday night, started getting the bed metal work done... pulled the mickey moused power windows out and figured out a game plan, (see one line below) Sat, researched more parts to order today (monday) Sat evenening, cleaned up the garage and fixed the A/C in my daily. Did more metal work in the bed...tried to grind my finger off with the flap disk... Assembled another parts list for all the rubber stuff I need to replace after paint... Sunday, changed a motor in my R/C helicopter and fixed my 1/4 scale dragster.... I got too many dang hobbies....
Not a lot on or about the cars. I did get my mullins trailer top hinges repaired and got the top sanded to prep for new paint. Might have to order a new water pump for the 34, not leaking yet but starting to sound like the bearings may be getting ready to go. Just replaced the one in my 57 Olds last month. Kind of wish they still made water pumps like that one. Only part to replace was the impeller itself, rest of housing stays on the car. Drain radiator, remove the belts and 6 bolts, pull out old impeller and put in new one with new gasket, then replace bolts, belts and refill radiator. About 1 hour for completed job. Why they stopped building them like that I have no idea.
You forgot the 4 bolts on the fan. I did the pump on my '58 Olds last week and, yes, it was WAY easier than any water pump I've ever done. The spigots on the block below each cylinder head are SWEET as well...
Packed for two plus weeks in Germany- ah vacation! ...does that count? Will get the '49 body on the frame when I return, I promise... auf Wiedersehen! - (good bye!) ...
I know the road well. I grew up near Truman and Lees Summit Rd. Just be glad that you didn't have to go over the old bridge over the river.
I got my '65 Stevens Hemi powered drag boat running and in the water Saturday, and then went to the Ty-Rods show on Sunday...what a fanfuckingtastic weekend!! Ty-Rods post: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=207324
SWEET TROPHY KIRK! I drove the '50 Burb into town for another Saturday night car show, that was fun. Sold the '86 Burb, got asking price, that was fun. Trimmed a big mesquite tree, that sucked. Big bonfire with the trimmed trees, that was fun. Visited a friend of mine with a big Studebaker and Model T collection, that was fun. Wrapped up Sunday with all of us at the zoo for ice cream in the hew HHR, that was very fun!
I went to the IRL Peak Antifreeze 300 in Joliet and listened to those cars scream around and around for an hour and a half. All those whining engines sounded like an unholy chorus of banshees. The wax is still running out of my ears.
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