Radiator Leak........Again!!!

We took the A for a quick spin to get her warmed up on Monday afternoon.  Came home to find there was antifreeze on the block, distributor and the firewall.  We also noted a bit of oil seeping around the head gasket.  We had been seeing emulsification in the oil filler tube and were concerned that the head gasket was leaking.  So a call to the mechanic was in order.

This morning we took the car over to the mechanic for a check up.  Seems that the head gasket isn't leaking, but the radiator has a small leak at the top.  Suggestion - get some Barr's Leak for the radiator and give that a go.  Also, it was discovered that the front two head bolts were quite loose and were given a good torque, along with the rest of the head bolts.

We also added a can of Seafoam to the oil to see if we could get the water to evaporate from the oil.  We will drive it a couple of weeks and see where it stands.

So, we were soon back on the road headed for home.  The car is running very well, not using any oil, so really no complaints.  We just want to make sure it is completely ready to hit the mountains in May when we go on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the MAFCA National Tour.

I did a bit more finish work to the side curtains.  They are working very well at keeping the cold wind and rain out of the cockpit as we drive down the road.  Much nicer conditions for winter driving!

North Myrtle Beach

We left home on Friday morning at 7:10.  We had to make our way across Columbia with everybody rushing to get to work.  We made it to Garners Ferry Road about 8:05 and decided to gas up before meeting with the group headed to the beach.  Of course, we were the last to arrive.  We did have the furthest to come and the most amount of traffic to drive through.  

There were 7 A's ready to head out for our first stop of the day.  We were headed for Mullins, SC and Webster Manor.  Webster Manor has a fabulous lunch buffet during the week.  Arriving, we were met by the Barnes and the Tooles.  The Tooles had spent the night at the Inn and graciously showed us around the beautiful old home.

Lunch was delicious, as always!  Soon, we were on our way for our destination - North Myrtle Beach. We arrived around 2:30, checked in and split up into the three houses for the weekend.  We didn't think we would want any supper after such a large lunch, but around 6:30 we decided to head to a local hamburger joint for a light supper - Hamburger Joe's was just the ticket.  Our house group piled into the Barnes modern SUV - Danny crammed himself into the area behind the third row seating for the short ride to the restaurant.  He is such a good sport!  After supper, we watched a movie in our house, Wild Hawgs, it was hilarious!

Saturday morning dawned bright and cold!  Danny and Cheryl cooked us a grand breakfast! Everybody headed in different directions for shopping, hitting golf balls and just having a relaxing day. Cheryl and I headed for the outlets and did our best to help out the local economy.  John and Danny headed for the golf outlets and then went and hit a bucket of balls at the driving range.  We all met back at the house around 4:30.  Supper was at Crab Catchers in Little River.  Great place for inexpensive, delicious fresh seafood!

Sunday morning was very, very cold!  We packed up the cars and left the beach around 9:30.  We were headed for the little town of Scranton, SC and lunch at Schoolhouse Barbecue.  We hadn't gone very far, when John Cockerill began having trouble with his car.  It just wasn't running right.  We finally made it to the restaurant about an hour later than planned.  Lunch was very good.  Of course, the cars were quite the hit with the patronage of the restaurant!  As soon as lunch was over, a tech session ensued on John Cockerill's car.  It seemed that the cutoff switch, which was mounted on the starter had come loose and fallen down, shorting out the battery.  He decided to drive the car as far as he could, trying to make it back to Columbia.  We got just about to Sumter when it just wouldn't keep going.  So, AAA was called for a tow back home.

The rest of us continued on to Columbia, arriving in town about 4.  We all stopped at a gas station, said our goodbyes and split up.

It was a great weekend, celebrating the 2012 MAFCA National Awards Banquet success in Charleston!  It looks as if we have a great central core going forward with the Palmetto A's into 2013!

North Myrtle Beach Adventure

Yesterday, John took an hour to wash and check Miz B's vitals.  We are headed to North Myrtle Beach on Friday morning.  There will be a group of 11 couples going down to celebrate the successful event in Charleston.  One couple has generously arranged for three cottages, all lined up side by side, for us to occupy while down there.  

Our plan is to leave about 8:30 from a spot on the east side of Columbia.  We will then travel to Mullins for a great lunch at Webster Manor.  One couple will already be there waiting for us, they plan to spend tonight at the Manor.  Sounds like fun!  After lunch, we will continue on our way to North Myrtle Beach.

It is supposed to be very cold, by South Carolina standards, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings, yet warm up to the low 50's during each of the days.  Definitely a trip with the side curtains up!

Speaking of side curtains - I made a small improvement to them.  I had noticed that where the curtain met the top rail of the door, the curtain was taking on a slight blue tint.  Not a good thing.  I think that the tiny dirt deposits on the curtains was rubbing a bit of the paint and adhering to the curtains.  I sewed a strip of the rip stop fabric across the area in question onto the curtains and that should eliminate the rubbing by the plastic curtain on the paint.  The rip stop fabric is very slick nylon.

Anyway, back to our trip......

Saturday will be a day open for anything.  Perhaps, John and Danny will play a little golf, while some of us go shopping, or to Brookgreen Gardens, or Atalaya at Huntington Beach State Park, or some may even go into Georgetown to the Rice Museum.  A relaxing day at the beach!

Sunday morning, we need to be out of the houses by 10, but our plan is to leave by 9.  Shouldn't be an issue.  Our lunch stop will be in a town named Scranton.  I've never heard of it, but there is supposed to be a great barbecue place for lunch.

I don't anticipate any issues with the car.  She has been running very well.  I took her, on Tuesday night, to a meeting in West Columbia.  The halogen headlights work extremely well.  The back country roads were well lit and the car ran beautifully.

So, tomorrow, North Myrtle Beach here we come!

Meeting in Prosperity

The morning dawned quite cold!  Siri, on my iPhone, told me "Brr, it''s 28 degrees."  Yep, Brr was right!  So, I bundled up and headed out to the garage.  I pulled the wool blanket out of the rumble seat area and climbed in the car.  True to form, she started right up.  I let the car idle for a couple of minutes, then pulled out and headed for the gas station.  John, with our daughter and grandson, were following me in the Town Sedan.  

After fueling up, we headed up US 76 for the little town of Prosperity.  We were meeting the folks from the Old 96 District Model A Club at Dee's Restaurant for breakfast and a meeting.  It was a little bit of a wait before the restaurant had the buffet line ready, so we started the meeting.  It was a good and informative meeting.  There were 8 Model A's in attendance with about 25 folks, some came in modern cars with heaters!

The meeting was relatively short, but we sat around for a while afterward enjoying each other's company until close to 11:30.  Then it was time to bundle up and head for home.

I decided it was time to try out the radio to see if my "rigging" was going to work.  I had the iPod in it''s own bag, with a clear vinyl face and the speaker in another bag.  The two were connected via a 3 foot cord.  I strung the cord up to the top butterfly fastening screw above the windshield and hung the two bags on the windshield pull.  I started up the car and turned on the equipment.  So far, so good!  I pulled out and decided I need a bit more volume.  Once I turned it up, I discovered that the reception was really very good.  Success!  Now I have radio for my long trips.

The side curtains worked very well.  I motored along with the outside temperature well below freezing and the interior never dropped below 52 degrees.  That is a temperature that is quite tolerable.  I think that I will be able to comfortably drive the A during the entire year.

It was a great drive in the A today.  I'm looking forward to the next adventure in Miz B.

New curtains and a Radio!

I had made a set of side curtains prior to our trip to Marquette, Michigan.  I knew we were going to need them, the UP of Michigan is never as warm as South Carolina!  We definitely needed them in the mornings and for the torrential downpours we experienced!  But, they just weren't quite right.  So, it was back to the kitchen table with them, new clear vinyl, and more blue rip stop nylon.  I decided that I needed to obtain the side curtain rods that are used with the purchased side curtains.  Now, I'm sure you are wondering why I don't just go buy a set of the already made side curtains from my local Model A dealer, Smith & Jones.  Easy - this car never had side curtains installed, hence, no fasteners on the body!  So, I had to get creative!

Now, velcro is a wonderful invention.  I have used velcro to attach the side curtains to the steel top rails.  Made a pocket for the curtain to slide on to the door posts and attached velcro to both and the smaller side pieces.  It takes me less than 2 minutes to "zip" myself into the A and enjoy a drive when the temperatures are cold to downright freezing or rainy.  I did discover that I do have a few wind leaks, but a hand towel stuffed above the rails seems to take care of that!  I need to find something a bit more permanent and will be thinking on it.  I'm sure I will come up with something!

For Christmas, my sweet husband gave me a new iPod.  I had been enjoying listening to the music I had downloaded.  About two weeks ago, he asked if I knew that it had a radio in it, too.  Nope!  So, I got busy with the rip stop nylon and made a couple of hanging bags for the iPod and the cordless speaker.  In order to listen to the radio, it needed a speaker or headphones attached via a wire.  It doesn't work over the wifi.  I guess it needs an antenna, hence the wire.  So, I can now listen to the radio!  The iPod is on the driver's side and the speaker is on the passenger side.  My wire is pretty long - about 3 feet.  I am hoping that will get me pretty good reception.  

I am going to take Miz B up to Prosperity on Saturday to meet with the Old 96 District Model A Club.  Not a very long drive, but far enough in pretty cold weather to see if I've solved the wind blowing around inside the car issue and far enough away from Columbia to see if the reception will be adequate to receive a good radio station.

Robertson Screws

Miz B was manufactured in Canada.  Model A's manufactured in Canada in 1931 had Robertson screws.  In 1908, P. L. Robertson began to manufacture a square recess impression in the head of a screw in Milton, Ontario, Canada. At that time, it was a revolutionary change in the fastener industry. The first patent was issued in 1909 and the last patent expired 55 years later in 1964. For his invention, P.L. Robertson screws and screwdrivers carry his name to this day.  When Henry Ford tried out the Robertson screws he found they saved considerable time in car production, but when Robertson refused to license the screws to Ford, he realized that the supply of screws would not be guaranteed and stopped using them.  Robertson’s refusal to license his screws prevented their widespread adoption in the United States, where the more widely licensed Phillips head has gained acceptance. However, an alternative explanation for this preference (that has even been aired on a History Television) is that Americans simply preferred their own invention as opposed to the “foreign” Robertson screw.  Just another way my car is different.

We ordered a set of Robertson screws to replace the slotted and Phillips screws that had been put in the car over the years.  Not only did we discover the slotted and Phillips screws, but we also discovered Hex screws!  I suppose, eventually, we will have the car back to the way it was manufactured.  The Robertson screws most noticeable are the ones in the dash rail and in the instrument panel.  I have to find an unusual Hex driver to remove the screws in the exterior door handles.  They are supposed to be Robertson, as well.  

Another uniquely Canadian part we ordered was a Canadian Data Plate.  This will be riveted to the fire wall.  The original must have been removed when the car was repainted, years ago.  Presently, there is no data plate.

Little by little, she will be correct!  Until that day, I am really enjoying driving the little car.  I go everywhere in her!  It takes me a little longer to get there, sometimes, but I always enjoy the journey!

Aiken

Last Sunday was a great day to take the Model A on a trip.  So, we checked the oil, tires, and radiator to make certain all was in good shape before leaving the garage.  Yep, all was good!  Nice to have a newly rebuilt engine that isn't sucking down oil like they might stop making it!  

We were off to Aiken, SC.  In the late 19th century, Aiken gained fame as a wintering spot for wealthy people from the Northeast. The Aiken Winter Colony was establish by Thomas Hitchcock, Sr. and William C. Whitney. Over the years Aiken became a winter home for many famous and notable people including George H. Bostwick, James B. Eustis, Madeleine Astor, William Kissam Vanderbilt, Eugene Grace president of Bethlehem Steel, Allan Pinkerton, W. Averell Harriman and many others.

In the spring of 1931, all attention was riveted on Aiken when Nicholas Longworth, Republican Speaker of the House, came down unexpectedly with pneumonia and died there on April 9, 1931. He had been visiting family friends – all long-time Republicans and fellow poker players – who had a winter home in town. Longworth was married to US President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, who rushed to his side from Cincinnati, Ohio, arriving prior to his death.

Knowing South Carolina, as we do, we knew not much was going to be open for lunch on a Sunday.  So, we did our homework on the computer before leaving.  We had decided we would go to Davro's for Sunday brunch.  They had an interesting menu posted on line.

We left about 11 and meandered our way through the rural areas along US 1.  We went through the towns of Lexington, Leesville-Batesburg, Ridge Springs, Monetta and on into Aiken.  Before the interstate system came to South Carolina, US 1 was a very busy highway across the midsection of South Carolina.  Today, it sees very little traffic and is a perfect Model A road.

We arrived in the beautiful downtown area of Aiken about 1 in search for our little restaurant.  It is a quaint little place with plenty of seating on their patio.  The temperature was about 78 degrees without a cloud in the sky.  Very warm, unusually so, for early January!  The service was a bit slow, but the food made up for that.  Delicious!

Soon, we were back in the little car for our trip home.  We made our way across US 1 to Lexington, where we picked up SC 6, crossing the Lake Murray Dam.  We arrived home about 4.  Of course, as always when traveling in the Model A, John got in his after meal nap.  I'll never understand how he can sleep in a Model A - much less a completely open car!

Next weekend, we are off to Sandy Run, SC for a Model A meeting at club members, Vent and Frances Mack's home.

Tour to Greenwood, SC

Yesterday dawned very cold with frost on the grass and rooftops.  I left the house at 6:50, before the sun was up!  I drove by myself, as John had plans to take Daddy to the USC Men's Basketball game.   I needed to gas up before heading to Greenwood, 70 miles to the northwest.  It was good that I had the side curtains in place.  The temperature inside the car was a very cool 42 degrees.  Outside, it was only 27 degrees.  I guess the side curtains really do help to keep the passenger compartment warm!  I was thankful that I had my lap blankets to put across my lap, too.  I stayed pretty warm, with the exception of my finger tips.  Although I had on gloves, the small gap at the top of the curtain, beneath the canvass top, had a very cold, steady wind directed at the steering wheel and my lap.  It would be nice if I could figure out some way to install heat in Miz B.  Her steering wheel is directly beneath the exhaust manifold, the source most folks use to pump heat in during the winter, so that won't work.

The little car performed beautifully!  Not a hiccough the entire trip.  Once the sun came up, about 7:45, the temps inside the car gradually warmed up to about 48 degrees.  Much more tolerable for the fingers!  Over the hilly countryside I rolled at 45 mph.  There weren't very many cars out on the road, being it was early Saturday morning, not many folks headed for work.

I arrived at the Shoney's in Greenwood at 8:50.  Great timing.  When I pulled into the parking lot, there were 4 other Model A's already there.  Three more would join the lineup, most folks had come in their modern cars.  I guess it was too cold to crank the A's or to bear the drive over.  There were about 24 members present for the first meeting of 2013 of the Old 96 District Model A Ford Club.  We enjoyed a hearty breakfast from the buffet, then settled in for a quick, 30 minute meeting.  

I left Greenwood about 10:30, after saying my goodbyes to my upstate friends.  I enjoyed the ride home to the sounds of my iPod.  I chose to listen to folk music going home.  I sure is nice to have the little wireless speaker on the shelf behind me.  I didn't drive quite as fast coming home, keeping the little car at about 40 mph.  I certainly wasn't in any kind of hurry and I wanted to enjoy the beautiful sunny morning as I drove the rural back roads home.

I discovered that I need to make some modifications to the side curtains.  I've already gotten the regular curtain posts for the doors and will use them.  I would like to be able to swing the doors open, having the curtain swing out at the same time.  I just need to figure out how to keep the small drafts from making their way into the passenger compartment.

I now have about 700 miles on the new engine and it is performing beautifully.  John changed the oil after we had put a little over 550 miles on it, so she is ready to roll for another 2,000 miles, or so, before we change it again.

Next trip, outside of Columbia, will be to go to the Mack's place in Sandy Run on the 17th of January.  I'm looking forward to it and seeing all my friends at the Palmetto A's Club meeting and lunch.

2012 MAFCA National Awards Banquet

Last week's event, the 2012 MAFCA National Awards Banquet, was a great success!  It was unfortunate that Mike and Stephanie Petty couldn't join us, but it is understandable - Somebody's got to go to work!  We had one couple in the club drive their A - Orville & Sharon Booth.  There were a few others to be seen around town, as well.  One fellow drove his up from Florida and several locals were out and about in their A's.

Here are a few photos of the event:

This is a photo of one of the A's outside our host hotel, the Francis Marion.

Registration Desk
Fay Prince, Twila Cockerill, Wes & Ann Porterfield

Checking folks in for the Dinner Cruise

John and I with the Richters of San Antonio, TX

View of Marion Sq. at Welcome Reception

With John Cockerill & Garth Shreading
Breakfast with the Board

Carriage Ride through Old Charleston

Dinner Cruise on Charleston Harbor

Middleton Place Plantation & Gardens

Awards Banquet with Jim Spawn, Editor of The Restorer & Alex Janke, 2013 MAFCA President

This was a lot of hard work for our committee and it was a definite success!  Now it is time to get Miz B out for a drive!

Tour to Beaufort and the Lowcountry of SC

We left the house on Saturday morning, December 29 and headed across town to the Reid's Grocery Store in Cayce.  The rain had subsided to a drizzle, but the temperature was cold.  The morning was made colder by the stiff breeze blowing from the west.  We met up with 5 other A's and headed to Walterboro and lunch at Duke's Barbecue.  We left about 8:35 and arrived just as 4 A's from the Lowcountry Club arrived, at 11:45.  We had a good car show in the parking lot!  But, we weren't there for a car show.  We were there for some great barbecue and fellowship.  I think there were 26 of us enjoying lunch in a private room.  Nice way to start the weekend!

After lunch, we headed for the old downtown area of Walterboro and antique shopping.  We shopped in 5 antique stores where a few of the ladies were able to find some vintage era appropriate accessories.  Below is a photo of those on the shopping expedition.  Miz B is the last in line.

Downtown Walterboro, SC

At 3:00, we said our goodbyes to Hugh Hiott and Henry Coleman, from Charleston, and we drove further south to Beaufort.  After arriving at our hotel, we all piled into Calvin's '57 Chevy and Vent's newer minivan for a brief ride to downtown Beaufort.  Arriving at 5:20, we were just in time to tour a few of the antique stores before supper.  It was decided that another trip just for the ladies was needed in the spring.  Lots of nice shops to peruse!  Soon, we were treated with a beautiful sunset from Beaufort Waterfront Park.

Christmas Tree @ Sunset in Beaufort Waterfront Park

Eventually, we ended up having supper at Luther's.  Great spot for our group of nine.  We enjoyed a leisurely meal, then hit another antique shop on the way back to the cars.  

The next morning, we met downstairs over a quick breakfast to discuss the plans for the day.  First, we drove through the old home area just north of town, seeing the Meechum Home, where The Great Santini was filmed.  Then, we were headed for Port Royal, crossing many bridges over the waterways around Beaufort.  Upon leaving Port Royal, we were on our way toward Yemassee, SC.  Our destination was the old ruins of the Sheldon Church.  Of the four Baronies originally granted to Capt. Edmund Bellinger, of whom I am descended, one of 13,000 acres in St. Helena's Parish, Granville County (later in Prince William's Parish, Beaufort District), known as Tomotely Barony, included the 50 acres on which Sheldon Church was built.  This church is located between the towns of Yemassee and Beaufort on the Old Sheldon Church Road.  Prince Williams Parish Church (Sheldon) was built between 1745 and 1755 on land (Poco Sabo Plantation) donated by Edmund Bellinger. The name Sheldon was used to honor the Bull Family who had a plantation nearby and their ancestral home in Warwickshire, England; both were called Sheldon Hall.

Old Sheldon Church Ruisn

Such a beautiful setting!  The ruins are carefully cared for and open to the public.  There are headstones scattered all around the grounds.  

William Bull's Grave
Buried March 21, 1755

1780 Headstone

After visiting the Old Sheldon Church ruins, we were off to have lunch near Beaufort.  It was a very cold morning with temperatures near freezing.  The roaring fire inside the Cracker Barrel was most welcoming to warm us.  We enjoyed a wonderful comforting lunch before our drive back to the Columbia area.  We arrived home around 5:30, just as the sun was setting over Lake Murray.

Miz B had a great day touring the Lowcountry.  She arrived home, having had no issues, with about 575 miles on her newly rebuilt engine; about 300 from this trip.  Now all she needs is an oil change and she is good to go on many more tours!

Home, At Last!

Miz B got back home on Tuesday evening about 5:30.  Her engine is in fabulous shape and she is being treated to a 500 mile break in period.  This means I won't be driving her over the recommended 35 miles per hour.  Not an easy task, as she seems ready to get up and go much faster!  It is amazing just how quiet she is running.  I guess the old gal had been trying to tell me that her age was really catching up and was making itself quite loudly known!

There wasn't an inch of her that wasn't covered in dirt, grease, and grime!  John spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning and polishing her.  I still need to pay some extra attention to the convertible top.  But all in all, she looks pretty good.

One small problem with the clutch has been discovered.  It appears that when the clutch is depressed, it is rubbing on something metal and will clank because of the normal engine vibrations.  There needs to be an adjustment.  We, also, have noticed that the steering is grinding a bit when the wheels are cranked hard either right or left. I'm sure it is a simple adjustment.  She has to go back to the mechanic after the first 100 miles to have her head bolts tightened and we will have him do the steering adjustment and look into the clutch issue, then.  We will probably take her over the week after we get back from Charleston.  Miz B isn't making the trip.  45 mph is pretty slow when you have to go 100 miles, but at 35 mph it would take just too long.  So, she will stay in her cozy garage while we are gone.

It was wonderful to be out and driving her yesterday afternoon.  Everything seems to be nice and tight. There aren't any noticeable rattles.  We had gotten most of them out before the engine rebuild.

I am looking forward to many years of confidently traveling the rural roads of the US in Miz B, without the worry of a worn out engine!

Update

Today, on my way home from Charleston, I stopped in at the Temples shop to check up on Miz B.  She isn't looking quite so sad!  Everything beneath the hood - springs, frame, shocks, brake rods - the works looks like new!  The dirt and grime of 82 years has been cleaned away and the parts have been given a new coating of satin black paint.  The steering mechanisms are all in place and look wonderful. Soon she will have a new chrome gear shift stick.   The car is going to have had a body off restoration, less the new paint on the body.  Well, it will seem so!  It is amazing the amount of dirt, grease and grime that has been removed from the undercarriage of the little car.

Here is some of the photographs of when the body was lifted to see about finding a frame number.

Here are some photos of parts and pieces . . . . 

 Here is the block, if you look closely at the second photo, you will notice the babbitt bearing is cracked and flaking; signs that the babbitt was poured too cold and under the wrong atmospheric conditions.

The engine is not back from the rebuilder, yet.  The conditions haven't been right to pour the babbitt bearings.  The weather is changing, so we are hopeful that will happen very soon.

Waiting

Today, we are hopeful that the new camshaft will arrive.  Although with the arrival of Superstorm Sandy, or as some have named Frankenstorm Sandy, it may be delayed in coming.  But, as soon as it arrives at our parts distributor, we will drive it the 35 miles to the engine rebuilder, Mr. Paul Peacock, near Monetta/Ridge Springs.  We haven't heard any news from Mr. Peacock, so we are guessing that the magna fluxing went well and there were no cracks in the block.

Yesterday, John went back to the Temples shop to take care of cleaning the front end - with the wheels and tires attached.  The purpose was to get a fresh coat of black satin paint on it.  That engine had been throwing grease and oil all over everything under the hood!  I think that John came home with more grease and oil on his sneakers than I've ever seen.  Today, I think that the front end will be reinstalled.  I'm not sure about the fenders being put back on yet.  Then the plan is to roll it out of the shop, put it under a shelter, cover her up and wait for the engine to come back from Mr. Peacock.  I am hopeful that it won't take too long.

While waiting for the engine to come back, the steering box is being rebuilt.  But of course, because it is a right hand drive, we are waiting on a specially made part for that!  We have discovered lots of good and not too much bad with this engine removal.  The undercarriage of the car is very solid and sound, but some engine compartment parts are in need of a rebuild.  All in all, not too bad for an 81 year old car!

Stay tuned for more updates . . . . .

All the problems!

Well, Miz B is in pieces all over the Temple's shop!  They decided to lift the body, while the fenders were off, to see if they could find a frame number.  Many Canadian manufactured cars were not stamped on the frames, but there was hope that it had been.  No such luck!  No number on either side of the frame, but definitely a Canadian frame.

The engine was delivered to Mr. Peacock's shop on Tuesday afternoon.  After a thorough inspection and measurements were taken, it was concluded that the engine was also definitely Canadian and the cylinders had been sleeved.

At this point, we are waiting on the magnafluxing to make certain there are no cracks in the cast iron.  If all is fine, then  we are going to need an oversized camshaft.  It has been ordered - positive thinking at work here!  The journals and the block show signs of wear and this is the best way to fix the problem, eliminating lower engine noise from the camshaft.

Today, John has gone to the shop to put in the welting that was discovered missing between the body and the frame.  That should eliminate a few squeaks as we ride down the road in the future.  The Temples are installing the new front cross member, adding greater stability to the frame.  The rest of frame was found to be in wonderful shape with no signs of rust or deterioration!  Once this is installed and painted, then the front wheel assembly can be reinstalled, along with the fenders.

At this point, it will be a waiting game until Mr. Peacock finishes the engine.  In the mean time, the steering gear will be rebuilt, cleaned and reinstalled in the engine bay.  Keeping in mind that Miz B is a right hand drive car, the absolute opposite of most of the other cars on the road in the US!

I wonder how long it will be before she is back home and ready to ride down the road?