In message <9408171235.AA29729@cmb.biosci.wayne.edu> Will Zehring writes:
> Fellow fiends:
>
> My peers tell me that I am a member of the "medical science research
> community," hence my need to be the first to identify and describe a disease
> or syndrome as such. Well, I guess TeriAnn beat me to "restorer's malaise"
> so let me try again (who actually discoverd shipwright's disease?)
hipwrights disease.... I first read about it in 1986, or '87. I was mentioning
some work I was doing on the TR3 when someone on this list (yes there were some
of us here back then) told me it sounded like I had ship fitters disease. He
originally described it as follows:
A person went to change a burned out light bulb in his ship. When he removed
the bulb, he noticed that the socket had a crack in it. Since he already had
the latter there and the bulb out, he thought he might a well go ahead and
replace the socket. When he removed the old socket, he noticed that the
insulation of the wires going to it was getting frayed and was becoming unsafe.
Well since he would have to remove the socket to replace the wiring anyway, he
thought it would save time to replace the wiring while he was at it. As he
removed the wires from the painted beam he noticed dry rot in the beam. Since
the wiring would have to be removed to replace the beam.... Soon the ship was in
dry dock for a total refitting because a bulb burned out.
I do not remember who told me that story. But over the years i seemed to have
become known for having that disease. If that person is still on the list or if
someone from that time even remembers the event, I would be curious also as to
who it was that originally told the story to me. I have just made a point of
making sure that this bit of lore didn't fade from the SOL scene.
. I
> propose the following new disease:
>
> Restorus Punctilious Obsesivus,
>
> otherwise known as RePO's disease. Its symptoms are: (1) an overriding
> obsession with making sure that each part that goes on is clean, neat and an
> acceptably aesthetic color, (2) consuming depression about using old dirty
> bolts instead of new shinny ones, modern hose clams instead of the old
> original style, switching to (-) ground, and whether having a new VIN plate
> stamped is "going too far," and last but not least (3) giving up sleep,
> work, family life, and good health for the sake of finishing the project
> yesterday.
>
> Yes, I know these symptoms personally. The bizarre thing is I'm not really
> restoring this car for show. Of course I want it to look *nice* but a
> modest degeree of "incorrectness" is almost my target. This car is going to
> be a driver, not a showpiece. That is, RePO's disease has struck me
> unintentionally. The way I figure it, the only cure for this desease is
> death, or possibly rejection by your peers at the next club get-together (a
> form of psychic shock treatment).
Thankfully this is one I do not have...Whew. As soon as I read replacing stock
style hose clamps for the kind available in local auto parts stores, and having
to actually stop and think about it before ordering a new commission plate I
knew it wasn't describing anything I had. I took one good look at my commission
plate, discovered that no one made a reproduction commission plate for post
TS60000 TR3As, called the Roadster factory then sent them mine so that they
could have it reproduced. And having parts go on the car in an acceptable
aesthetic colour?? I spent lots of time researching the original factory colour
and texture. I ended up repainting the center section of the wiper motor about
4 times before I got a crinkle finish I thought was correct. I was able to do
it in three on the centre instrument cluster (one of the problms in painting
parts in colder than recommended temperature). I never had depression about
reusing old rusty bolts. I remember the factory did not use old rusty bolds and
decided that I should not either for my new TR3.
Well it doesn't look like a variation of the over restorer's disease. You don't
seem to be over restoring it. You obviously do not have the authenticity nazi
sundrome. It sounds like something previously undiscribed to me. You may have
a new one.
>
> In my case, I'm even trying to figure out a way to take Friday off so that
> by Sunday evening...
> 1. the engine bay will be completed
> 2. the interior will be completed, save seats and top
> 3. the front end will be partially disassembled and the bushings reamed
> 4. I'm going to start thinking about starting the d**n thing up, and...
> 5. my back will be killing me.
>
> Is this too much to ask? Problems are: I'm being paid to work on Friday,
> and my mother-in-law visiting for the weekend.
Maybe your mother in law would like to clean parts ;*)
>
> Will "got it bad" Zehring
You realize I intensly jealous because you have your engine in your car and are
making rapid headway.
My engine is done and ready to go in, but the 3's body is back at the body shop
having door fitting errors corrected..at their expense. I just have this empty
streach of bare ground where the 3 sat for years during the project, and a cover
sitting there with nothing to cover but bare gound. Well I do have an overdrive
transmission sitting there on a pallet, ready for installation, and a moss
covered factory hard top waiting for its turn to get restored.
Intensly jealous
TeriAnn Wakeman Large format photographers look at the world
twakeman@apple.com upside down and backwards
LINK: TWAKEMAN
408-974-2344 TR3A - TS75519L,
MGBGT - GHD4U149572G, Land Rover 109 - 164000561
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