It's a Driver!
It's been 15 months since I last drove this car, but we got it on the road today for a 2-3 mile test drive. It was a clear cold day, roads were bare and salt-free, so after fixing a slow leak in the front brake line connection box (bad copper washers), we took it for a spin on the Eel Weir Road. Given the new engine, we didn't go very fast, but other than a stuck needle valve and leaky carb - which corrected itself - it seemed to run well. The timing needs a little more attention, but everything seems to work fine. It steers very well, the suspension is as expected (jumpy on a frost heaved Maine back road) and gearbox, engine temp and oil pressure all fine. Can't tell yet if it has the power and pick up of the coupe; that will have to await more breakin time.
Got other things done as well, mostly on the door panels. One is all installed, but we are going to have problems with the handles. The door handle was very hard to mount properly, the window handle is marginal gear-wise and the vent handles are useless. They also don't appear to be installable with the eschuteon plate. Not sure what the solution to that is, but have to scare up some more Deluxe style window and vent handles I guess. They are not easy to find I'm afraid.
Got the garnish molding in place, but it turned out to be "high" near where the vent window opens. We opened it and scratched the wood graining. Can probably touch that up, but may just send it back to Grain-It for them to do. Here's a picture:
The LH door panel is also on the car, but haven't messed with the handles for it yet. We also got the spare tire mounted and installed in its proper place behind the passenger seat. I don't have a spare tire lock for it, a device which mounts over the hold down nut. Pretty hard part to locate.
Got the weather seal installed around the door window openings too. Ken made the lower door sill weatherstrip channels, but they need painting before we epoxy them to the sill. This detail stuff takes a lot of time to do.
Otherwise, new rumbleseat springs are being made by Snyder's next week. Got three other people in on the order, so that lowered the price to the $275-300 range. They will still need to upholstered in vinyl of course.
Got other things done as well, mostly on the door panels. One is all installed, but we are going to have problems with the handles. The door handle was very hard to mount properly, the window handle is marginal gear-wise and the vent handles are useless. They also don't appear to be installable with the eschuteon plate. Not sure what the solution to that is, but have to scare up some more Deluxe style window and vent handles I guess. They are not easy to find I'm afraid.
Got the garnish molding in place, but it turned out to be "high" near where the vent window opens. We opened it and scratched the wood graining. Can probably touch that up, but may just send it back to Grain-It for them to do. Here's a picture:
The LH door panel is also on the car, but haven't messed with the handles for it yet. We also got the spare tire mounted and installed in its proper place behind the passenger seat. I don't have a spare tire lock for it, a device which mounts over the hold down nut. Pretty hard part to locate.
Got the weather seal installed around the door window openings too. Ken made the lower door sill weatherstrip channels, but they need painting before we epoxy them to the sill. This detail stuff takes a lot of time to do.
Otherwise, new rumbleseat springs are being made by Snyder's next week. Got three other people in on the order, so that lowered the price to the $275-300 range. They will still need to upholstered in vinyl of course.
posted by Bob Shafto at 7:26 PM
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