Spring Dust-Off Check – Dave’s Garage

Recently I hosted the New England M.G. “T” Register spring meet in Saratoga Springs New York. We had M.G. cars driving from all over the north east to the event. Three M.G.s broke down at the event, and our technical inspection found many serious safety problems needing immediate attention. One M.G. T.C. had a pinion failure in the rear axle. Another T.C. had a water pump failure. Two T.D.s had charging problems, resulting in flat batteries and dead cars. One T.D. had a broken trunion at the King pin in the front suspension. This could have broken causing the wheel to fall off. Several cars had bare, un-fused hot wires dangerously close to grounding and shorting out. Interestingly, these cars also lacked a battery cut off switch or fire extinguishers. Several cars had dried out gaskets causing gasoline leaks at the carburetors, right next to the hot exhaust manifolds. This made me realize the importance of a methodical inspection before taking an antique car on a several hundred mile trip, or out of the garage in the spring for another season of joy rides.

The first check, before starting the engine, is a brake and fluid check. This includes the differential, transmission, and engine oil, brake fluid and coolant. While under the hood check belts and hoses, and the water pump. Check radiator hoses for buldging and cracking.

A good inspection of the front suspension and steering components is also a good idea. This includes wheel bearings, tie rod ends, drag links, ball joints and steering joints. When were the wheel bearings last re-packed? When was the front end last greased? A check of the drive shaft, spring mounts and rear suspension is also a good idea. Check all brake hoses. How old is the brake fluid? If it is not silicon dot 5 fluid, less than three years old, or you don’t know, change it. Look at the tires for cracks in the tread and side walls, bulges in the side walls and the early signs of tread separation. Lastly, check the general wiring, battery, battery cables, and make sure the battery is securely anchored in the vehicle.

This check goes for trailers, too. Our portable lift blew a tire on the way home. When I inspected the trailer at the event, I questioned the integrity of the tires. One blew less than 24 hours later.

If you do drive on a long trip, ask your club members what spare parts to carry. Should you bring a set of plugs? Cap and rotor? Water pump? Fan belt? Voltage regulator? carb kit? Points and condenser? All handy things to have when you really need them.

Before driving the vehicle, always give the brake pedal a good stomp to ensure the brakes are functional. A half hour spent checking out the car would well avoid the unpleasant cell phone call from the side of a hot road, and the hassle of a 200 mile flat bed towing.


Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

Look Out, There’s a new Player in Town

I have to admit Shelburne Museum is a perfect spot for a classic car show. Although, I could have done without the cold north wind and multiple layers of clothing. On the up side, my husband’s 1954 Dodge Power Wagon (PW) was a screaming success. A consistent crowd mulled around like groupies at a rock concert. I sat quietly on a Craftsman bag chair eating my lunch, collecting snippets of conversations as PW fans converge upon my husband and I. There is nothing better than car guys talking shop: I’m doing great, how are you; this thing is awesome (eloquently stated by a 5 year old boy); did you see the pictures before I pulled it out of the weeds; and (my personal favorite) do they still do PW Rallies? I can actually answer that question, “Yes, they do!” I had one spectator tell me that I should not leave my coffee on the running board of the PW. Little does he know that I have a vested interest in the PW’s well being.

I feel badly for my almost lavender 1971 MG Midget. She was neglected by her owner (namely me); I left her sitting alone all day by the Ticonderoga without anyone present to tell her story. At the next car show I am going to give her the respect she so rightly deserves by playing disco music, dressing in 70’s attire and hosting a disco dance party.

1954 Dodge Power Wagon

1954 Dodge Power WagonIn the fall of 2006 I acquired a 1954 Dodge Power Wagon truck while out driving the back roads of Vermont, route 109 to be exact. A rusty old truck next to the road caught my eye. The owner happened to be mowing his lawn so I stopped . I must have been blinded by the Rust Flu for I could not see how much work this truck really needed. I seemed to miss the broken frame and the fact that two cylinder walls were cracked. The head to the 230 ci motor was resting on the front seat. Someone had cut the last two inches off the bed with a torch. Inhabitants plagued the cab like a condo running amuck, five mouse nests, two bees nest and a dead snake, biohazard site for sure. The nests rotted out the wiper cowl area and lower doors. This old wood truck had its share of running into objects, bed sides bowed out no doubt from being overloaded. Previous owners must have been amateurs at throwing wood and used the back of the cab as a backboard. The Rust Flu was hard at work, swaying any rational thought, letting passion and desire overrun common sense. Gazing googly eyed into pitted headlight buckets. Trying to justify the legitimacy of restoration or delegate the vehicle to mere parts car status.

Why a Power Wagon? Just a work truck, a tractor with a cab, born out of the World War II WC trucks. My interest in vehicles isn’t just the flow of the lines, blending of panels, 50 shades of gray, horsepower, and chrome bumpers, its the history of the vehicle, stories, development and researching parts manuals and shop manuals. This truck was legendary for its toughness and durability like the men who used it. From combat to farms both environments demanding, it answered the call. Restoration started with disassembly, the endless labeling & bagging. The parts list continued to grow. While tracking down parts, I met some great people and contacts, this is the other joy of our hobby. The down side is the endless sandblasting and expense. Many restorations fail at this point and keeping the spark and drive alive can be tough. I stayed involved by attending rallies and online forums, gaining knowledge I needed for the restoration. Each vehicle has its unique quirks, you know what I mean. Before the Shelburne show I had only driven a Power Wagon once before, an M37 military equivalent, it had a synchromesh transmission and mine doesn’t. It left an impression of crude but purpose built machine, rugged and overbuilt. I was hooked. Hooked enough to endure 10 years worth of, on and off again restoration effort. I kept pecking away at it. Locating a good frame, salvageable block and a lot of bed pieces. A tough process for a vehicle that the aftermarket reproduction companies tend to ignore because there isn’t a healthy profit in it. I was use to Mustangs, parts available anytime, anywhere and reasonably priced,…. Down to every nut and bolt. I found Power Wagons have a true and devoted following. Make a few connections and used parts and advice can be found. So I set monthly goals, little tasks and kept working at it. March of 2015 I had the bed done, April wiring and May the brakes. The Shelburne Show was the maiden voyage with the truck, still not complete, but I attained the goal. I do all my own work except for a few select things, I’ll be the first to admit “jack of all trades master of none”. It’s a battle when everything is twice as heavy and damaged. The old truck was well received and many nice comments. People stopped to tell stories of their Dodge experiences. Timber handlers, farmers, uncles, dads and Veterans all had something to say about a Power Wagon, invoking memories of the past. Listening to the stories only added to the event. Now, if I could only manage more than 35 mph, or as I like to say” I can go anywhere in the world at 30MPH……… VIVA LA POWERWAGON…

Fender Unbender – Dave’s Garage

subaru fender benderRecently my wife was driving the kids to school in the Subaru when the truck in front of her stopped. She didn’t. The impact smashed the left headlight assembly, and bent the hood, fender and radiator support. The headlight also contains the directional and running lamp. The hood was bent enough to separate the skin from the frame.

I estimated the damage would be about $1,500 if I took it to a body shop. I have a thousand dollar deductible, so this repair would cost me at least $500.

I also knew a new headlamp assembly, new hood, new fender and fresh paint would not match the rest of the car. The car is a 2002 with 234,000 miles on it. The shiny new headlight would not match the one on the right side, the paint would not match and the finish would not have the same “patina” as the rest of the car. The quote for a used hood from the salvage yard was $50, and the fender was $35. Unfortunately, they did not have any red ones.

A new headlamp assembly from Subaru is about $350. One from a salvage yard was $35. I bent the metal behind the headlamp assembly back in to shape, and used a hammer and dolly on the fender to achieve a good fit with the new headlamp. I pulled the hood frame back in to shape, and hammered the hood skin back to shape. I wire brushed the metal until it was clean, then I epoxy primed the bare metal. I hammered the hood skin back over the frame and finished hammering the shape until the fit was satisfactory.

I will continue to look for a used hood and fender. If I can not find them used, I will put a light skim coat of body filler on the fender and hood, and repaint them. I will have to clear-coat the entire hood and fender. Unfortunately, the price of the primer, sealer, red paint, reducer, hardener, and clear-coat will be more than the used panels, and I know the paint won’t match. In the meantime, the car is roadworthy again, and I have only spent $35.


Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

 

Mother’s Day

By the time you read this, Mother’s Day will be over by at least a month. I have to tell you that I have a love/hate relationship with the holiday. It is considered the third largest holiday for card exchange with, of course, Christmas being the first and Valentine’s Day second. The giant card company, Hallmark, estimates they sell 133 million cards. Mother’s Day comes in second in the gift giving holidays and it also, is the year’s most popular holiday for dining out.

First some history on this( in most cases ) revered holiday called Mother’s Day (note it is not Mothers’ Day). It was always intended to be in the singular, “it wasn’t to celebrate all mothers. It was to celebrate the best mother you’ve ever known-your mother- as a son or daughter.” It was brought about largely by a woman named Anna Jarvis (1864-1948) when her mother died in 1905, she was inspired to organize the first Mother’s Day observances in 1908. The idea caught on and President Woodrow Wilson signed an official proclamation on May 9, 1914 stating Mother’s Day is “a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” Then what? You guessed it, in a very short time it was recognized as a gold mine for commercialism! And, it was almost immediately a big business of selling cards, candy, flowers and it disturbed Jarvis so much that she spent her life and her substantial inheritance trying to return the holiday to the reverence of a person’s mother which was her original intention. Her story and all she did to try and reform Mother’s Day until at least 1940, is extremely interesting and very courageous for a woman from 1910-1940 but unfortunately she was not able to turn the tide and she died in 1948, penniless and in the Philadelphia Sanitarium.

Now, my feelings about the day we set aside for ‘our mother’. I guess I would first say if Mother’s Day is the only day you recognize her (I hope) for her devotion to you, part of me says ‘don’t bother’. It is kind of like those that only go to church on Christmas or Easter and aren’t observant the rest of the year ‘don’t bother’! But wait!! I am also the ‘queen of eternal hope’. Maybe, just maybe, if you do it once a year, maybe something will prick that heart of yours and it may become something you start doing twice or three times – which if you aren’t careful, it may just become part of your routine and you one day say ‘ wow, I love this’. (Believe me your mother and God will love it, too!) I have to admit I loved the flowers I received but was a bit disappointed when I read in the paper among the ads for where to eat and what to buy or what to do with your mother on ‘her day’, an ad to play a free round of golf with your mother (this was at the Club where my son is the Pro) I didn’t get a call with a tee time! (I’m pondering that one!) I’ll finish by saying a huge thank you to all you mothers that serve us on Mother’s Day in so many ways. It may be in a restaurant, store, gas station, hospital or a hundred other places we may need to be on this day and all year.

One more bit of information, last year the average spent was $168.94/per mother, this year $162.94 – wonder where I fell short! Better watch it, Father’s Day is traditionally a “fewer gift giving day” but that could change!

1933 Dodge Coupe

1933 Dodge CoupeWhile a student at Norwich University, a classmate of mine, “Bud” Hooper, had a nice old 33 Dodge Coupe that he had used primarily to get from his home in Hoosick Falls, NY to Northfield Vermont.

As we neared graduation in 1958 I was in the market for an inexpensive car. When Bud mentioned he was getting a new car for graduation and was selling the Dodge I bought it for $300. That at the time was a lot for a car that old but the car had only 5400 miles on it and ran well. I had almost $300 in graduation gifts from various aunts and uncles, borrowed the balance from my father and had my “wheels”.

Before reporting for active duty in the Army I worked in Cambridge, MA at a supersonic wind tunnel and took graduate courses at MIT and also courted my wife to be, who was a senior at Wellesley College.

My active duty station was at Fort Belvoir VA. The old Dodge made the trip from Middlebury to Fort Belvoir many times. Driving time was thirteen hours as this was before interstate highways and much of the trip was down old US Route #1.

After completing my active duty we were married and lived in Georgia, Vermont. Four children had fun playing in it while it was up on blocks with about 75,000 miles on it.

I planned to restore the Dodge but working and traveling as a mechanical engineer for various companies postponed that for about 40 years. Restoration started in 2005 at White Rock Sports in Bristol with “Eli” Elithorpe.

The 33 Dodge is the only car I have had that I have “feelings’’ for. It has always served me well and I think looks great. All other cars were just an expensive necessity.

Gary wanted me to tell a funny story about the car, like my wife giving me a tow to start a dead battery and tearing off the front bumper. But I am not going there! We have been happily married for 55 years and hope to make it to 56!!

Editor’s notes…

As the editor I feel this “story” is a very important learning tool for the old-car-crowd and needs to be told. I have also observed that Pat & Bill’s union is very strong (they are a wonderful couple) and can surly weather this tale of the day the bumper came off the Dodge.

One day when the Mraz 33 needed a tow Bill explained to his wife Pat what is needed when towing a vehicle . As he mentions above, he is an engineer, so I am certain his explanation was very thorough. And, from what I understand, Pat did exactly what she was told. You are to start out pulling very slowly then speed up. That is what Pat did… all before the chain got-tight. So, when the chain became tight Pat was in the “speed-up” mode and the bumper came off. Ooops!

I hope this does not ruin my chances of getting the inside story in future feature stories and I hope the Mraz family is still speaking to me.

There were over 106,000 Dodges built in 1933 and 9500 of them were business coupes like Bill and Pat’s. Of the options available the Mraz coupe has front and rear bumpers (most of the time…), a heater and a rear-view mirror. Other options available but not on this car were dual sidemount spare tires, metal sidemount cover, chrome sidemount trim bands, rear spare metal cover, radio, clock, cigar lighter, radio antenna, trunk rack, spotlight, outside rearview mirrors, dual trumpet horns, dual taillights, dual windshield wipers and a license plate frame.

The DP series Dodge was new for 1933 with it’s 6 cylinder engine and offered two wheel base sizes.. 111.3 inch & 115 inch. The DP line was not offered in 1934 when the company changed to series DR, DS and DRXX.

This info came from “American Cars Catalog”

1958 Mercedes Coupe

1958 Mercedes CoupeIn Nov, 2007, Emily and I were returning from Syracuse and at the time I owned a 1957 Mercedes Benz 220S 4 door sedan. We were driving on a back road when all of a sudden Emily said, “There’s a car up there that looks like yours.” We went back to take a closer look and she was right. The fronts of both cars looked the same, but from the headlights on back were distinctly different cars; this was the rare coupe. My sedan was a nice car, but this coupe had really nice potential. From 1953 to 1962 fewer than 1250 of this body style were made. This one was even rarer since it had a sliding metal sunroof, and a Hydrak (clutchless) four speed, manual transmission.

The car had had a rough life the last few years and by the inspection sticker it hadn’t been driven since 2002. Emily indulged me and a month later it was mine. The engine barely ran, the brakes were locked up, the windows were stuck part way down, the sun roof wouldn’t move, and who knew what else was wrong with it at the time. No surprise, I trailered it home.

I soon remedied most of the above problems – or at least made them livable. Along the way there have been a few surprises. The two biggest surprises occurred in the first real trip we took with the car. After a tune up the engine was running reasonably well although still liking to stall out at stop signs and red lights. The brakes were no longer frozen, although the car pulled to the right due to a leaking left front wheel cylinder that kept that brake from doing much. My car would now move and stop pretty well most of the time. How much more does one need to take a trip to Maine with the Mercedes Club? I was anxious to be on the road!

In sunshine, Emily and I left Bristol heading for Maine. In New Hampshire it started to rain and by the time we got to Maine it was a torrential downpour. It was then we learned that two of the four sliding roof drains were blocked. Water was coming in rather quickly. Unable to dismantle the roof pillars to get to the drain tubes, we needed another solution since Emily was getting wet and the headliner was getting soaked. Emily would dry but I did not want the headliner being damaged. We solved the problem with some wide blue paint-er’s tape which I carefully applied over the gap around the sliding roof. I received a lot of compliments on that decorative pin striping job! At least the interior waterfall was stopped for now.

As I’d never had the car out in the rain before, the roof leak had been a surprise and a nuisance, but readily fixable. Unfortunately the rain also precipitated the need for windshield wipers. I hadn’t thought to try them before, other than to see that they worked to pass inspection. They did work, at least for a little while. As the rain increased, the driver’s side wiper started to slip and not return. After several attempts to tighten the wiper arm onto the shaft the rain let up and I decided to deal with it after returning home. The rest of the weekend went relatively well and I was gaining faith in my little coupe.

Returning home, half way across New Hampshire, a new rainstorm caught us with the failing wiper getting worse. It was also getting dark and seeing the road had become very difficult. Emily’s knuckles were white as she clenched the hand-hold on the dashboard. Her conversation reflected a degree of concern. I remembered my dad describing a wiper failure on his honeymoon. They tied their shoelaces to the wiper blades and in through the windows. Back and forth they pulled on the laces and the wipers moved in sync. Emily was knitting and so we tied some yarn between our wiper blades. Her side was working normally and mine would go to the left but not return. With the yarn in place, Emily’s wiper would pull mine back to the right. A pretty good fix – until the yarn broke. Thinking along the same lines, Emily pulled some dental floss out of her purse and we replaced the broken yarn. Dental floss is apparently much stronger than yarn as it did get us home that evening. In the garage, I was able to tighten a nut on the wiper mechanism. It was a simple solution but very difficult to get to under the dashboard.

This past winter I had hoped to straighten some damage to both front fenders, paint the car, get some chrome work done, and maybe even replace the leather upholstery, but somehow life got in the way. And here we are now ready to start another summer of interesting adventures and pleasant new memories.

It’s All About the Mud

mud season vintage carDisclosure: “The views expressed in this article belong solely to the writer and do not reflect the VAES’ idea of a good time”.

Mud season is frustrating for non-mud enthusiasts, most classic car owners and livestock caretakers alike. If Vermont were to name a state season, mud season would be a viable candidate.

Vermont’s fifth season is undeterminably long, it disappears only to reappear spontaneously, striking without notice. June tent weddings, Fourth of July and the Stowe Car Show have all fallen victim to torrential rain and mud. I like car shows best when the solar deity, Ra, chooses to be in attendance.

vermont road mud season
“Muddy road after thaw, near Stowe, Vermont” – from the Library of Congress – April, 1940

Some folks are drawn to mud like a moth to a flame, adding mud to sporting events to enhance player and viewer enjoyment. Mud wrestling, mud volley ball, mud football, and let’s not forget my personal favorite – mud bogging caravan style, entice a cult following. I have personally experienced mud bogging due to a kind hearted gentleman who saved my husband and I a coveted spot in the back of his 1952 Dodge Power Wagon. His vehicle was meticulously restored and CLEAN which meant its occupants were not motored through a 30′ by 60′ foot pit of mud. This pit was truly impressive, indiscriminately swallowing up jeeps, miscellaneous retired military vehicles, men – women – children- dogs, and beer coolers. Needless to say my husband now attends this rally alone.

On the brighter side, mud season is the catalyst for change. It ceremoniously welcomes in the running of the sap, spring flowers and the highly coveted dog days of summer.

Cabin Air Filter – Dave’s Garage

Most cars sold today have a cabin air filter, usually located behind the glovebox in the dashboard. This will filter dust, pollen and dirt entering the Heating, Air Conditioning and Ventilation System.

cabin air filterI recently noticed the airflow on my Subaru’s heater was weak on one of the many below zero mornings. I remembered this car had a cabin air filter, and I know I have never replaced it. The owners manual states the filter should be replaced annually, or every 15 thousand miles, depending on the conditions the car is driven in. This car has 230,000 miles on it, and this was the factory cabin filter, I had never changed it. I live on a very dusty dirt road, so I should theoretically be changing the filter more often.

The filter was inexpensive enough, and in stock at my local friendly auto parts store. When I took the old filter out, I was not surprised to find the filter was quite dirty. I was surprised to find a great deal of dirt and pine needles sandwiched between the A/C evaporator and the filter. I pulled out about a cup of dirt, and a handful of pine needles.

I used a vacuum cleaner to vacuum out the HVAC box, and a paint brush to get all the dirt off the A/C evaporator. I turned the heater fan on high to blow out any remaining dust, dirt and debris.

I was very impressed with the improvement in the airflow with the new filter. The volume of air going through the cars vents was noticeably higher.

The heater works much better now.

Cabin air filters in cars are a relatively new phenomenon. As cars have become more and more maintenance free, it is a bit unusual to have something new to remember to maintain. If the new filter does not include a sticker to log the date and the mileage of the replacement, it is a good idea to log this information on a piece of masking tape and place it somewhere on the car as a maintenance reminder.


Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

Kenneth Barber, VAE Photographer Laureate

Ken BarberKen Barber’s title, “VAE Photographer Laureate”, has been decided upon by a committee of One… and that is me.

I believe 100% if you were part of that committee you would agree with me. Photography has been a huge part of Ken’s life and it just so happens old cars and VAE car shows, all the way back to Spruce Peak, has been some of his main subjects.

I had heard about this “photographer gent” from Barton, Vermont but had never met him. Then, I received two photos in the mail one day and a nice note from him giving me permission to use them in Wheel Tracks. Those photos take us back in time to 1917 during a special period in the automobile history (they are on page 2 of the last two issues).

Whenever I visit the NEK (Northeast Kingdom) it is always a treat to me and when I met Ken at the Parson’s Corner Restaurant in Barton a few weeks ago it became a special treat. I know more than got my head in the door when Carmon Brown called me by name and directed me to his table. Carmon is a waitress there and if only I had her ability to remember names and be ‘that happy’; I would have it made. I doubt if it was two minutes after meeting Ken that I knew he had a very special talent and I also knew that he was going to be one of those long time friends I would always learn from.

Ken spent most of his career as a machine operator in an area machine shop. Other than an adventure as a young man when he worked for Douglas Aircraft in California for a short time, he has spent most of his life in the NEK. The camera that you can see at his right elbow was his first real dive into photography, it is a Mamiya twin lens reflex and the “dream camera” in it’s day. The camera led him to a very good fortune one day when he rented a space for a darkroom at a local business. The landlord asked Ken if he would take some boxes off his hands that were in his attic. The boxes had been left behind by a photographer many years before. It turned out to be hundreds of glass negatives from the early 1900s.

Producing photos from those negatives and from the thousands that he has taken with his Mamiya has been Ken’s passion over many years. The bridge pictured to the left is one of his Mamiya photos from the 1960s. Ken said he waited for hours to get that shot. Photographers have a very special way of watching life’s everyday happenings and picking out scenes that you and I would never pick as important… but are very important. That is why Ken Barber is so interesting to talk to and learn from.
Ken has also been struck by the same fever that many VAEers are afflicted with. He says now that he is 86 years old, he seems to be bothered by it less these days. If you have ‘the fever’, you are required to seek out and drag home any object that even looks like a gas powered vehicle… even diesel powered will do. I remember asking Ken when we first met if he had brought any old cars home, in his days. I got the impression there had not been many. As the conversation went on and a second visit to his home plus a few phone conversations, I have determined there have been many “barn-finds” in his life…

I have seen pictures of piles of steel “basket-cases” on his trailer, only his explanation allowed me to see that it was, in fact, a car of some sort. There was a picture of a collapsed barn with a vehicle hiding in it’s shadows. Ken dug that car out and if I have correct notes, he drove that car for a number of years. Another hint that revealed his true identity was the folks he has kept company with over the years. Gael Boardman, Dave Maunsell, Gary Olney, A.K. Miller and Pevy Peake… I needed to hear no more.

Ken is flying to Arizona to visit his brother soon and speaks about his friend wanting to go on a balloon ride while out there. I challenged him (sort of) to doing the ride also, I will ask when he returns to the NEK. What photographer worth his salt would turn down a new adventure…