The WWWedge Gallery Ted Jankowski (USA)

This beauty is property of Ted Jankowski, Illinois USA. It was manufactured in Canley in May of 1979 for U.S. export. It was sold through a dealership in St. Louis, Missouri. The original owner purchased the car in 1979 and drove it until 1983, when the head cracked at 35000 miles. The owner put the car in his dad's barn, removed the head and quickly lost interest. The car sat there, head removed, until his father passed away and the farm was sold in 1989. At that time I purchased the car and towed it home. A wedge, even with a manual transmission, should never be towed with the rear wheels on the ground without first disconnecting the drive shaft. The engine was severely corroded, so I decided on a rebuilt to stock U.S. specifications and had it back on the road in 1990. I didn't really get all of the bugs out of it until 1992. The only significant modification is the use of twin manual choke Zenith Stromberg carburetors off a 1975 wedge. One of the original Stromberg automatic choke carburetors was cracked, apparently dropped when the head was removed. In addition to the engine rebuild, I replaced the clutch components, exhaust system from the cat to the rear, brakes, all hoses and vacuum lines, tires (which were out of round from sitting for 10 years), rear shock absorbers, front shock absorbers, steering rack, transmission remote bushings. The Lucas electronic ignition was replaced with a Lumination optical system. The body, top and interior are all original. Factor options include 5speed transmission, air conditioning and fog lamps. Non factory option: Panasonic AM/FM radio. The past two summers, this car is my daily driver, averaging about 6,000 miles/year. Severe winters in Central Illinois do not agree with classic cars, so it is usually stored from November 1 through April 1. However, due to problems with my '94 Ford Ranger truck this winter, it was called into service for 2 cold, snowy weeks in February, and performed unexpectedly well. Plans: Drive this car as much as I can. The more I drive it, the less problems I seem to have. I have a set of SU 1 3/4 carbs off an old Healey that I may rebuild and try, and I would like to change the alternator to a GM set up. I also would like to add a roll bar and am considering a hard top. I want to keep modifications to a minimum in hopes that some day this car may appreciate and my heirs will get my investment out of it. Regards, Ted Jankowski.

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