Time for an update!
The '57 Minx now has brakes and a rear axle, even if only the stock
originals. Hydraulics are bled, and the system works fine, as far as I can
tell, with the car still on jackstands. When I get my hands on the uprated
bits, they'll go into the '58 convertible I just scarfed these out of.
I was hoping to get the transmission and driveshaft back in today. I
snagged a pair of trans mounts and a slave cylinder on Ebay for a good
price, and figured I could assemble everything but the crossmember while I
wait for the packages to arrive. As I'm getting the clutch bits out, I find
that the little springs that hold the release plate onto the fingers of the
pressure plate appear to have evaporated!!! Nowhere to be found!! And what's
REALLY annoying is the pressure plate is in excellent condition, too.
Anybody got an old rusty crusty early series pressure plate that can spare
those springs? Hey, Jan, did you save that last one you replaced??
Never having really worried about driving this car, I never had a
key for it. I just swapped out another ignition switch when I was getting
the engine running. Now, I'll need a key. So, another chore finished -
disassembled the door locks and the original ignition cylinder, and came up
with a key. Actually, I cheated. The car had an FP key code, so I looked
through my other keys. Turns out the trunk lock on my '61 Humber is an FP,
so I swapped the tumblers about to match the Humber key. Easy fix.
So, progress is being made, maybe not as fast as I'd like since the
past few nights have gotten down to 30 deg. F., but hopefully I'll have it
ready before the snow flies. I've got tires on order, not the ones I wanted,
but very aggressive. They should arrive very shortly, and once I find a
pressure plate or some springs, I can get the thing off the jack stands.
BTW, anybody know a good source for a cheap exhaust system?? The only piece
on the car is about 2 feet worth of header pipe, and that's thinner than tin
foil.
Jon Arzt
Omaha, NE USA
|