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Wonderful Car & Wives as Mechanics

To: British Cars <british-cars@autox.team.net>
Subject: Wonderful Car & Wives as Mechanics
From: "Ron Tewksbury" <ront@twg.com>
Date: Thu, 19 May 94 9:56:16 PDT
Let's see now, Scott said his Wonderful Car had to be
-one you didn't see every day (unique)
-beautiful- as in it makes him smile every time he sees it
-doesn't have to be British

I saw an ad in ba.market.vehicles that might just fit these parameters

>1960 OSCA Formula Junior.  Classic front engine monoposto.  Needs
>restoration.  About 90% complete.  Mark Gillett

>-- 
>That's it
>kris or mark
>autonet@onramp.net

I know this isn't a streetable car, but I don't remember that as being a 
requirement. And I know I grin when I see these little things buzzing 
around the track!

On a different note, I think it is great when spouses take a real interest 
in our cars, and want to help. I do have a word of warning, and before I 
get into gender trouble, I must add that this is good to watch for in ALL 
budding mechanics and helpers. 

Once apon a time, not so very long ago, just after my wife Julia and I got 
married, we went car shopping. She fell in love with a Volvo 1800s Sport 
Coupe found at the back of a lot, covered with leaves and neglected. She 
HAD to have this car. It was a project car, but being familiar with the 
marque, I knew I could make it go. Which I did, but I had to work on it 
constantly to keep it running (SU carbs with Lucas wiring and Bosche 
electrical components). She used the car as a daily driver, and felt guilty 
about the amount of time I spent working on it, and offered to help. So I 
taught her to change the oil. I watched her do it, but didn't check the 
work. 100 miles further, the drainplug dropped out on her way to work, and 
she drove the car in this condition until it started bucking, at which time 
she pulled off and called me. Together we went to look at the car after 
work, and discovered the awful truth. The engine could barely be turned 
with my largest wrench. But we had to at least get it home, so I put in a 
new drain plug and filled it with oil. It cranked slowly, fired, ran. Lots 
of smoke at first. 

Julia has never touched wrench to car since, because she no longer wants 
to.

Not all people, male or female, are mechanically inclined. Some want to be, 
but arn't. All new mechanics-in-training need to be watched and their work 
needs to be checked.

As an end note, we drove the 1800, with that engine, another 40,000 miles 
before it was replaced. 

Ron Tewksbury
ront@twg.com


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