2012 - Page 4 of 4 - Vermont Auto Enthusiasts

How to Keep Your Mate Interested! (in old cars of course!!!)

The following will be some do’s and don’ts regarding, what for many a woman, is the 5th season of the year the dreaded “car show” season. If you are just starting out and introducing her to the car show, this will prove to be the easiest time to cultivate a love or at least a liking for such things (if done right!) If you are a veteran of such, it will be harder but certainly with the right attitude, can be achieved. I will start with the don’ts:

DON’T spring it on her the morning of the show! ASK her about the date at least 2 weeks before.
DON’T expect her to pack the lunch, get the cooler ready, pack all the things needed for children (if there are any) and then wash the car!
DON’T arrive at the show and disappear after shouting over your shoulder, “ Get me a hot dog (light on the mustard) and 2 drinks at 12:30.”
DON’T offer to walk around with her and then pause at each car, for no less than a hour, and talk to the owner (which when done- it brings at least 3-6 other men who want to talk and so you end up seeing about 8 cars in the 12 hours you are there!)
DON’T forget that while most “car guys” don’t need food, drink or a restroom, the rest of us do!!
DON’T think that you get any trophy for being the last one to leave the show!
DON’T forget that if children are involved, everything is much harder!
DON’T give her a crash course in what the car is and has (unless she asks you to!) I have found that most “car guys” will believe anything you tell them!

Now some do’s:

DO introduce “car shows” in small doses. Be sensitive to how much fun everyone is having.
DO offer to take the children while she strolls through the flea market.
DO make sure she has a chair, food, drink and a good book, if she is to be left alone at the car. (and only if she wants to be left alone at the car- I have found that is MUCH preferable!)
DO try and introduce your mate and curtail almost all lengthy conversations and do your best to “move along”!
DO take pictures but don’t feel you have to wait for every spectator to leave the field, besides, I’ll bet you already have a picture of the car back home, somewhere!
DO return to the car from time to time so you can ask if she needs anything and she can be sure that it wasn’t you being taken away in the ambulance that left the field earlier!

Now, go and have a good time but remember in almost all cases, everything is easier to do at HOME!!

Another Chapter

Cars are bedded down for the winter, holidays are over, there are still remnants of cookies and fudge and decorations, so now you would think that we could all settle in for the cold and snowy days ahead. Maybe catch up some of the reading you have wanted to do or some “winter” project that you want to get done. If you are like us, these “projects” have been begging to be done for several winters. But, this is the year to get it done. Sounds good, doesn’t it? As usual, something seems to get in the way of all our good intentions. Let me tell you about ours.

About March of 2012, a skinny, scraggly, dirty cat showed up at our door. He was very skittish and extremely hungry. So we started to feed him and he came every morning about 6 AM and scratched at the door and waited for us to give him his breakfast. This was repeated again about 6 PM and we soon learned his schedule and tried to comply, even asking a neighbor to bring his meals when we had to be gone. We named him Willys (Willy) and tried to get friendly with him but making friends was on us, he continued to accept and maybe I should say, demand, service but didn’t seem to get any “closer”. At one point he bit Gary, bad enough to draw blood. While not exactly the behavior we had wanted from him, it would have been ok if there hadn’t been a rabies scare in the area. From the look of Willy, with his crooked tail and a piece torn out of his ear, with no shots, Gary could be at risk. He contacted someone involved in catching stray cats and they set up a “have a heart” trap. If caught, Willy would be taken to a vet, get a checkup, have shots, be neutered and taken to a farm in the area that accepts “refurbished” cats. I don’t know which of those things Willy objected to most (Gary seemed to think he knows) but Willy had other ideas! Half in the trap, it triggered the door, faster than lightening, Willy backed out and was gone! Back to square one and the days before Gary would have to start rabies shots were ticking down. Advice from the vet, and Gary’s doctor: watch the cat (if he returned) and see if he displayed any strange behavior. To make a long story short, Willy returned to eat and eat and eat. No friendlier, no less demanding but thankfully not sick.

Since then, Willy has been spending the cold nights inside, in my chair. You would think we have our teenagers back the way we worry about where he goes for sometimes hours. Willy now likes us to pet him, give him treats and make of him. He checked out our grandchildren at Christmas and decided to make a fast exit until they left. We check the door when he is out and about, making sure he isn’t waiting on the doorstep to come in. Willy went out New Year’s Eve and was still out when we went to bed about 12:30 AM. At 2:45, he was at the door and I was there to welcome him home. Now, we could sleep! We can’t believe his attitude: he ignores us, and he doesn’t seem to be concerned with how we fuss over him and will just walk away or turn his back. All the teenage years come rushing back. Just thankful he doesn’t drive. Have to cut this short, Willy’s supper time.

Fluid Changes – Dave’s Garage

In prior columns I’ve discussed various automotive fluids, which types to use and why to change them.

corroded cylinders Brake fluid needs to be changed every two to three years, or replaced with DOT 5 (Silicone) fluid. Failure to do so will result in low boiling temperatures and seizing pistons in calipers and wheel cylinders, resulting in brake failure.

Transmission and differential oil needs to be checked to ensure proper lubrication. Engine oil needs to be changed regularly to prevent sludge, varnish and corrosion inside the engine. Soft metals like bearing shells can be damaged if the engine oil can be damaged by neglected engine oil which can become acidic. I have recently seen several photos that very graphically show the importance of regular coolant flushes and refills. The anti-corrosive properties of automotive coolant slowly fade away until the coolant can no longer protect against corrosion.

sabb 2c head gasket failure Notice this head gasket failure from a 2L Saab engine. The gasket literally corroded away. A very expensive repair that could have been avoided with some simple and inexpensive preventative maintenance.

vw porsche cylinder head corrosion So if it has been three, five, or even ten or more years since you have changed your coolant, you may want to put this chore on your to do list before your pride and joy looked like these pictures. Certain Porsche, Volkswagen and Franklin owners need not worry.

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

The Eighty Days of Christmas

If my memory is correct, I believe it used to be the twelve days of Christmas. This year the Christmas “stuff” started to appear in two local stores at the same time the Halloween candy appeared in August. Back “in my day”, the Christmas season started when the Sears Christmas catalog appeared around Thanksgiving. Many an hour was spent pouring over that book, pencil in hand, to mark all the dreams a child could muster. Dream as we did, we also knew, somewhere in the recesses of our mind, that we might get one toy or game or maybe nothing from the catalog at all. Growing up, Christmas gifts were made up, mostly, of what we needed – not wanted. This was the time to get new PJs, socks, warm clothes – things that we had worn out or outgrown. Many gifts were geared toward what the whole family could use – like a toboggan or skis or skates for the oldest and you would get the equipment passed down. I remember opening the “used” with the same enthusiasm as the new. My Mom would always add something to the used to make it seem new, such as, new laces, paint touched up, polished and maybe our name stenciled on the item. Actually, one of the highlights was our stockings from Santa. Many a Christmas Eve, my Mom was woken before dawn, to find four children creeping around in the semi-dark house on a mission to see if Santa had come and gone. Again, the stocking held things like toothpaste, new toothbrush, candy cane, and always a nice orange in the toe! It was a wonderful, magical time that I think has been lost since Christmas starts coming at us in August. Also, who needs anything? I would admit I have quite a few wants but certainly, at this writing, no needs.

By now you can see why I’m writing this. Wouldn’t it be more meaningful and fun to go back to the “twelve days of Christmas”, not eighty? Actually be able to give someone something they need and get something you need. Teach each other that waiting for Christmas to get what may be waiting in your stocking or under the tree isn’t a bad thing but it just makes the anticipation even sweeter. Now, I’m not lobbying for you to not buy new socks or PJs when you need them and if you do, I’m not saying you have to wait for Christmas to get them. All I’m saying is that we all should have a little restraint when it comes to buying. When you can’t think of “anything” to get a person for Christmas – just maybe they already have too much.

I told you that I don’t have any needs. I just remembered I do. I need a haircut – should I wait for Christmas?

Goodrich’s 1968 Jaguar E-Type

While spending the winter in Florida in 1995 my wife and I drove by a garage in St Petersburg where they did antique car restorations. It looked like an interesting place to visit so we stopped in to meet the owner who gave us a tour. Among disassembled Bentleys, Studebakers and the pieces of a 1939 SS100 Jaguar was a 1968 blue Jaguar E-type which was receiving the finishing touches of a refurbishing.

My wife, who usually is not enthusiastic about visits to car garages, thought that Jaguar was, as she put it “art in motion”. I seized the moment and immediately asked the owner if the car was for sale. It turned out that it was his wife’s car which they had reluctantly decided to sell. We left the shop, talked it over and decided that if he would repaint it red, we would negotiate to buy the car.

A few weeks later we were the proud owners of the ’68 Jaguar which we drove to our first car show in Tarpon Springs. After winning a first prize we were returning to our condo in Largo when true to Jaguar reputation, first the horn failed, then the radiator cooling fans followed by the car overheating. We pulled off the road and were soon passed by two model A’s and a model T!

I mentioned the car to my son who lives in Nashville, TN. He said that he had a friend who had owned a similar car years before but it was blue. The friend mentioned that he had sold it to an antique car restorer from St Petersburg, FL! On a visit to Nashville a few years later I met the previous owner who said that he had to sell the Jaguar to finance his new business. It was the same car.

Since then we have enjoyed the Jaguar, taken it to many shows where it really is: Art in Motion (at least most of the time!).

I grew up in Sheldon, VT & while in college I worked summers at the state park at Lake Elmore and the Tyler Place in Highgate Springs. At Elmore in the 1950’s I met Adrian West (deceased but long time VAE member) and we enjoyed our mutual interest in old cars.

After college and marriage, work took my wife and I permanently from Vermont in the late 1950’s. We kept a camp on Fairfield Pond in the family and have returned there for a few weeks each summer since. After retiring my wife and I became reacquainted with Adrian and joined VAE about 15 years ago. We have enjoyed attending the VAE shows.

We keep a house in Lake Forest, IL where the Jaguar E-type and my son’s 1967 Jaguar 420 currently reside; the 1963 MGB now being in Florida. My son and I brought his Jaguar 420 to the British Invasion at Stowe two years ago where it won second place in the Concours class.

Coolants 101 – Dave’s Garage

Recently I got a question about the many different types of antifreeze available today. Specifically, what type to put in a new Honda with blue coolant. So, here it is:

Types of Coolant (Antifreeze)
Today’s coolant market is confusing. In days past all coolant was the green ethylene glycol variety, one type of coolant for every car. Now it seems that every car manufacturer has at least one color of coolant. What Type of Antifreeze Should I Use?…..All Makes and Models?…Extended Life 150,000 Miles?…..Green, Red, Yellow, Orange, Pink, Blue? There are a lot of choices of different automotive coolants today. So, which one should you use in your car? You should use what your car was made to have. However, sometimes it may be difficult to decipher what the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) used, especially if you purchased your car used.

Basically, there are three basic types of automotive coolant: Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT), Organic Acid Technology (OAT), and Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT).

IAT coolants are the “traditional green” variety used in virtually all American vehicles from the late 1920s to the mid to late 1990s. Like all antifreeze, it is naturally clear; its color comes from dye. Unlike the other types of antifreeze, it uses silicate and phosphate corrosion inhibitors to protect the metal parts of the engine and cooling system. However, these inhibitors wear out quickly, so IAT type coolants need to be flushed every two years or 30,000 miles. OAT coolants typically do not use silicate and phosphate corrosion inhibitors. Different manufacturers use different chemical additives to battle rust and corrosion, and they all dye their coolants different colors. GM’s ubiquitous DEX-COOL coolant is an OAT antifreeze dyed orange. Toyota, Volkswagen, and Audi all use their own formulas that happen to be dyed pink. Honda uses a dark green (blue) dye. OAT coolants have longer service lives than IAT coolants, needing to be flushed every 5 years or 150,000 miles. HOAT coolants use different additives than OAT, but also use some silicate to protect aluminum surfaces. Modern Ford, Chrysler, and most European vehicles use their own HOAT coolant formulas. Ford’s is dyed yellow and Chrysler’s is orange (not to be confused with DEX-COOL). Both use the marketing name of GO-5. HOAT coolant has the same service interval as OAT (5 years or 150,000 miles).

Summary:

IAT – Used in early to mid-late 90’s Domestic vehicles…….This type is good for our antique cars
OAT – Used in late 90’s GM and most Asian vehicles
HOAT – Used in 2000’s Fords, Chryslers, and most European vehicles.

Although you can mix coolant types without harm, it is highly recommended against. If you mix an OAT or HOAT with an IAT, you will lose the extended service life of the OAT or HOAT coolant. Some people say that if you mix these types of coolant it can result in the coolant gelling, but if you keep your cooling system well maintained, this should not be a problem.

And finally, what about the “Universal, All Makes, All Models” coolant you see stuffing store shelves? Basically, those are OAT DEX-COOL clones. I would personally steer well clear of them unless your vehicle is de-signed for OAT coolant. You should always check your owners manual, and make sure the coolant you add is the same type of coolant your car requires.

Thanks to “how-to-matthew” for information contained in this article.