Keith's Corner, March 22nd |  |
| Tuesday, 22 March 2011 02:35 |
From broken axles to sheared rear ends to rebuilding vintage Becker radios, it’s been a busy week in the SCM stable. We took our 1973 Land Rover SIII 88 to Tillamook State Forest, and headed into the snow from Roger’s Camp. This was my first run since I installed an ARB compressed air rear locker, and I had been warned to be gentle. Well, a few miles up the trail I momentarily forgot the advice of my mentors, and managed to shear off the ends of both rear axles while trying to rock myself out of a deep snow hole. Our leader, Doug Shipman of Ship’s Mechanicals, got me turned around, and once on level ground he pulled out the rear axles, dropped the rear driveshaft and I drove home with power to just the front wheels. I view it as a very expensive driving school; hardened axles on the way. Our white “B Team” MGB is at Consolidated Autoworks, and Ed Grayson reports that the springs on it are so collapsed that they have almost a negative arc. Plus the rear end is howling. However, he has located a used rear-axle assembly including springs for $300, so that problem should be soon solved. A couple of other small things, like heater valve, tune-up and oil change, and it will be on to the next car. We do need a 71-74 rear bumper, 8 71-74 bumperettes and maybe, just maybe a set of Panasport or Minilite mags to dress up the cars. If you have any of this stuff laying around your garage, contact me at keith.martin@sportscarmarket.com.And wrapping it all up, the 1959 220S Ponton is at MBI Motors, where the fresh-air tubes that go to the heater are being replaced by modern fiberglass replicas (the originals were pressed cardboard and have disintegrated), I am having the reserve fuel mechanism installed (there is no reserve warning light – the engine just starts to sputter, then you pull a lever which switches the input from a higher to a lower outlet on the fuel tank). Plus, the vintage Becker AM/FM/SW radio with signal seeking bar is being rebuilt by a specialist in Carleton Oregon. Lest we forget, the 1957 Isetta is having an electronic ignition installed (More power! More power!) and we hope to have it back in the stable soon.           |
